1682

Feb. 28. Lateran. Pope Innocent III reprimands the king of Cilician Armenia for his excesses in the principality of Antioch, his violation of treaties and his promises. The pope has heard from the patriarch of Antioch and many others that the king had broken his written commitment to a truce, had sent his nephew Raymond Rupen with a large army into the territory of Antioch, had ravaged and burnt casalia belonging to the churches and carried off loot amounting to more than 100000 besants. Leon had received a man who had been deposed as patriarch of Antioch. He had replaced the archbishop-elect of Tarsus [Tarsensis] with a Greek, expelled the Latins and divided the church’s possessions among his milites. Innocent warns the king that he has ordered the patriarch of Jerusalem, his suffragans and the bishops of Cyprus to enforce the excommunication of the king, his nephew and his supporters until satisfaction is made. He has forbidden the kings of Jerusalem and Cyprus, the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem and any peregrini in the province of Jerusalem to have any relations with those who have been excommunicated.