1975

Jan. 10. Lateran. The bishop of Tortosa [Anteradensis episcopus] has complained to Pope Honorius III about the behaviour of the Knights Templar. Lordship of the city of Tortosa is divided between the bishop and the Templars, but the latter, breaking the terms of division laid down a century ago, have ignored the bishop’s lordship [dominium], treating his part as their own, taking control of the city gate that belongs to the church, publicly proclaiming [bannum proclamare] that they have full rights and impeding the operation of the bishop’s meat market [becaria] and the freedom of merchants to sell his grain and wine. They have built 2 new churches in their part of the city, in which they have installed Greek priests [Greci presbyteri] in defiance of the bishop and the Holy See. They have refused to pay their dues, including tithes, to the bishopric, according to the evidence provided by their own rustici Sarraceni, and they have detained tribute paid by [the town of] Coeblum. They have denied the bishop his parochial rights at Castellum Album. The pope gravely rebukes the magister and brothers of the Knights Templar. He orders them to make satisfaction and informs them that he has ordered the archbishops of Tyre and Caesarea and the bishop of Acre to enforce his judgement.