2693

July 21. Lyons. Pope Innocent IV writes to the [cardinal-]bishop of Tusculum (Frascati) and papal legate (Eudes de Châteauroux), ordering him to preach the crusade with other worthy regular or secular clerics in the area of his legation. The legate is responsible for appointing official preachers, compelling rebels and those who contradict with ecclesiastical censure without appeal. The pope grants him the power to offer special indulgences to those who hear him and his fellow preachers and are truly penitent and have confessed; the power to absolve those who have laid violent hands on secular clerics and religious persons and those who are arsonists (if they make fitting satisfaction for the damages), those excommunicated for not paying the tenth or twentieth assigned to the business of the Holy Land (if they make satisfaction), the sacrilegious, those who have visited the Holy Sepulchre against the papal prohibition, the supporters of the Albigensian heretics against the Catholics, and those who have brought iron, weapons, wood and prohibited wares to the Saracens or otherwise gave them advice, assistance and support; the power of reconciling the penitent as long as they are crusaders or wish to assume the sign of the cross; and the power of commuting other vows into the crusading vow. The legate is also expected to force with ecclesiastical censure and without appeal the former crusaders to fulfil their vows if they have renounced them.