Excommunication
THE EXCOMMUNICATION
OF FREDERICK II AT THE COUNCIL OF LYONS, 1245
Pope Innocent IV had been friendly to the emperor
before he was elected pope. Thereafter he turned on the amazing Frederick and
excommunicated him. This was nothing new to the emperor, but it was the last such
sentence against hint, since he died in 1250.
[Innocent recapitulates the efforts of the popes to maintain peace between the
church and the empire. and dwells upon the sins of the emperor. Then, after charging him
with the particular crimes of perjury, sacrilege, heresy, and tyranny, he proceeds as
follows:]
We, therefore, on account of
his aforesaid crimes and of his many other nefarious misdeeds, after careful deliberation
with our brethren and with the holy council, acting however unworthily as the vicar of
Jesus Christ on earth and knowing how it was said to us in the person of the blessed
apostle Peter, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven; we announce and declare the said prince to be bound because
of his sins and rejected by the Lord and deprived of all honor and dignity, and moreover
by this sentence we hereby deprive him of the same since he has rendered himself so
unworthy of ruling his kingdom and so unworthy of all honors and dignity; for, indeed, on
account of his iniquities he has been rejected of God that he might not reign or exercise
authority. All who have taken the oath of fidelity to him we absolve forever from such
oath by our apostolic authority, absolutely forbidding anyone hereafter to obey him or
look upon him as emperor or king. Let those whose duty it is to select a new emperor
proceed freely with the election. But it shall be our care to provide as shall seem
fitting to us for the kingdom of Sicily with the council of our brothers, the cardinals.