1899

Dec. 30. Lateran. Pope Honorius commends to Queen Alice of Cyprus C. Amochostanus episcopus, whom he is sending back to Cyprus. The bishop has informed the pope of the convention between the Cypriot church and Queen Alice of Cyprus [Oct. 1-31 1220]. The pope reports that he has confirmed the agreement. Alice has asked that those Greeks who are not obedient to the Roman church should be allowed to remain in residence. The pope replies that he wishes to favour Greeks who obey the apostolic see and to allow them to retain their customs and rites, but because it would be monstrous and against the constitutions of the general council for a diocese to have several bishops, he has ordered the patriarch of Jerusalem and the archbishops of Tyre and Caesarea to remove these [Greek] bishops, enjoining Greek abbots, priests and deacons in the kingdom of Cyprus to obey the [Latin] bishop established in their diocese The queen should assist. Otherwise over time the kingdom might be lost to the Roman church and even to Latin rule.