Pope Innocent IIIs Great Impact on Medieval Society Essay...

Pope Innocent III began a sequence of changes that influenced the face of secular and ecclesiastical Europe through careful use of law and political manipulation. It has been remarked that the papacy acquired and retained the most power under the leadership of Pope Innocent III during the late 12th and early 13th centuries. I plan to examine sources primarily pertaining to the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 and secondly to a collection of Innocent III’s papal letters. In my analysis, I hope to draw a correlation between Innocent IIIs actions and these actions influence on medieval society and why this period is considered to be the height of papal power since its inception. The Fourth Lateran Council demonstrated Innocent IIIs great†¦show more content†¦The letter then ends with a great inspirational message, a message that conveys the desire of the pope to fix what needs to be fixed. The letter also gives the authoritative sense that the changes will be hard but they must happen. In just one letter Pope Innocent III has asserted his sphere of influence over Europe and its people. No one shall plead as an excuse difficulties of the journey or obstacles of strife... No one shall plead excuses, that is, not the archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors or representatives of royalty through out the continent. Innocent III had essentially put out a summons and like a lord sending summons to his vassal, left people with only one option in how to answer the summon. Hundreds of clergy and representatives of many of the great leaders of Europe answered Innocent IIIs summons and attended the Fourth Lateran Council . Innocent put to work his knowledge of law to begin implementing changes that would shape Europe from then on. Canon 13 produced at the great council states that we strictly forbid anyone in the future to found a new order, but whoever should wish to enter an order, let him choose one already approved. Unlike the great emperors of Rome, who had c ontinuously looked farther and hungered for more which had eventually led them to being unable to control and maintain that which their greed had brought them. Innocent and the council believed it would be better for the church to solidify the holdings that