1870

Mar. 23. Lateran. The bishop of Acre has complained to the pope that when the pope had ordered the clergy of the diocese of Acre to respect the bishop’s ordinary jurisdiction, the archbishop of Caesarea, gathering abbots, other clergy and laity together, suspended the bishop in his absence, placed an interdict on the church of Acre and excommunicated the canons, in spite of the fact that an appeal had already been lodged with Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate. When Magister Anselmus canonicus Acconensis stated that the archbishop had acted against the statutes of the general council and began to read the pope’s letter to the archbishop, the archbishop had him expelled, tearing his clothes and ripping up the letter. Pope Honorius III orders the archbishop of Nicosia and the bishop of Bethlehem to investigate and, if they find the account is true, to force the archbishop of make satisfaction and reprimand him for his injury to the pope.