Patrician
much obliged, indeed
The question of Languedoc received special attention at the Fourth Lateran Council. All of the players were there, except Simon de Montfort and, naturally, Cathar Perfects. The concerned parties were invited to a special audience. It was bishop Fulk who started the hostilities, attacking Raymond Roger of Foix for having heretics in his family and sheltering them. He then reminded the pope of the infamous massacre of the crusaders at Montgey:
"And your pilgrims, who were serving God by driving out the heretics, mercenaries and dispossessed men, he has killed so many of them, slashed and broken and hacked them in two, that their bodies lie thick on the field of Montgey, the French still weep for them, and it is upon you that the dishonor falls! Out there at the gateway rise the moans and cries of blinded men, of the wounded, of the men who have lost their limbs or cannot walk unless someone leads them! He who broke those men, maimed and tortured them, does not deserve ever to hold land again!"
Raymond Roger had somewhat different opinion of the matter and he spoke directly to the pope:
"Those robbers, those traitors and oath-breakers adorned with the cross who have destroyed me, neither I nor mine have laid hold on one of them who has not lost his eyes, his feet, his fingers and his hands! And I rejoice to think of those I have killed and regret the escape of those who got away."
Right in front of the pope...what a man... He turned than directly on Fulk:
"And I tell you that the bishop, who is so violent that in all he does he is traitor to God and to ourselves, has gained by means of lying songs and beguiling phrases which kill the very soul of any who sing them, by means of those verbal quips he polishes and sharpens, by means too of our own gifts through which he first became an entertainer, and through his evil teaching, this bishop has gained such power, such riches, that no one dares breathe a word to challenge his lies...once he was elected bishop of Toulouse, a fire has raged throughout the land that no water anywhere can quench, for he has destroyed the souls and bodies of more than five hundred people, great and small . In his deeds, his words and his whole conduct, I promise you he is more like Antichrist than a messenger form Rome."
The pope had heard enough, and headed for his private quarters. A chronicler has one of Roger Raymond's nephews remarking: "There now, haven't we done well? We can all go home, for we have driven the pope indoors." Heh...
When he thought for a while, Innocent suggested that only the lands and goods of proven heretics be passed to Simon de Montfort and the rest be returned to their former owners.
The southern clergy protested, and Fulk stepped forward:
"My lord, true pope, dear Father Innocent, how can you covertly disinherit the count de Montfort, a truly obedient son of holy Church, one who supports yourself, who is enduring such wearisome strife and conflict and is driving out heresy, mercenaries and men of war? Yet you take from him the fief, its lands and castles, he had won by the cross and his own bright sword, you take away Montauban and Toulouse if you separate the lands of heretics from those of true believers...and that is not the smaller share. Never have such cruel sophisms or such obscure pronouncements been declared, nor such absolute nonsense!"
The whole of Languedoc's clergy agreed with him, and Innocent couldn't defy the clergy of a whole province, pope or no pope. He was then reminded that the mother of young Raymond (the son of the count of Toulouse) was Joan of England, whose dowry included some lands in Provence. I suppose Innocent was grateful for that fact. His verdict was that Simon can keep all the lands of St. Gilles and the Trencavels save the mentioned possessions in Provence which went to the young Raymond...
There.
"And your pilgrims, who were serving God by driving out the heretics, mercenaries and dispossessed men, he has killed so many of them, slashed and broken and hacked them in two, that their bodies lie thick on the field of Montgey, the French still weep for them, and it is upon you that the dishonor falls! Out there at the gateway rise the moans and cries of blinded men, of the wounded, of the men who have lost their limbs or cannot walk unless someone leads them! He who broke those men, maimed and tortured them, does not deserve ever to hold land again!"
Raymond Roger had somewhat different opinion of the matter and he spoke directly to the pope:
"Those robbers, those traitors and oath-breakers adorned with the cross who have destroyed me, neither I nor mine have laid hold on one of them who has not lost his eyes, his feet, his fingers and his hands! And I rejoice to think of those I have killed and regret the escape of those who got away."
Right in front of the pope...what a man... He turned than directly on Fulk:
"And I tell you that the bishop, who is so violent that in all he does he is traitor to God and to ourselves, has gained by means of lying songs and beguiling phrases which kill the very soul of any who sing them, by means of those verbal quips he polishes and sharpens, by means too of our own gifts through which he first became an entertainer, and through his evil teaching, this bishop has gained such power, such riches, that no one dares breathe a word to challenge his lies...once he was elected bishop of Toulouse, a fire has raged throughout the land that no water anywhere can quench, for he has destroyed the souls and bodies of more than five hundred people, great and small . In his deeds, his words and his whole conduct, I promise you he is more like Antichrist than a messenger form Rome."
The pope had heard enough, and headed for his private quarters. A chronicler has one of Roger Raymond's nephews remarking: "There now, haven't we done well? We can all go home, for we have driven the pope indoors." Heh...
When he thought for a while, Innocent suggested that only the lands and goods of proven heretics be passed to Simon de Montfort and the rest be returned to their former owners.
The southern clergy protested, and Fulk stepped forward:
"My lord, true pope, dear Father Innocent, how can you covertly disinherit the count de Montfort, a truly obedient son of holy Church, one who supports yourself, who is enduring such wearisome strife and conflict and is driving out heresy, mercenaries and men of war? Yet you take from him the fief, its lands and castles, he had won by the cross and his own bright sword, you take away Montauban and Toulouse if you separate the lands of heretics from those of true believers...and that is not the smaller share. Never have such cruel sophisms or such obscure pronouncements been declared, nor such absolute nonsense!"
The whole of Languedoc's clergy agreed with him, and Innocent couldn't defy the clergy of a whole province, pope or no pope. He was then reminded that the mother of young Raymond (the son of the count of Toulouse) was Joan of England, whose dowry included some lands in Provence. I suppose Innocent was grateful for that fact. His verdict was that Simon can keep all the lands of St. Gilles and the Trencavels save the mentioned possessions in Provence which went to the young Raymond...
There.
