Pope Honorius I

Lore & Background

Born in Rome as a son of Aimerico, a member of the Roman Savelli family, Cencio Savelli was for a time canon at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. He became Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church on December 5, 1189 and Cardinal Deacon of Santa Lucia in Silice on 20 February 1193. Under Pope Clement III and Pope Celestine III, he was treasurer of the Roman Church, compiling the Liber Censuum, and served as acting Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church from 1194 until 1198. In 1197, he became the tutor to the Sicilian king Frederick, future emperor, who had been given as ward to Pope Innocent III by his mother, Constance. Innocent III raised him to the rank of a cardinal priest in 1200, by which he obtained the Titulus of Ss. Ioannis et Pauli. He was dismissed as Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church in 1198, but about the same time, he assumed the post of Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, which he held until 1216. Innocent III died on 16 July 1216. Two days later, seventeen cardinals present at his death assembled to elect a new pope. Cardinals Ugolino of Ostia (afterwards Pope Gregory IX) and Guido Papareschi were empowered to appoint the new pope. Their choice fell upon Cencio Savelli, who accepted the tiara with reluctance and took the name of Honorius III. He was consecrated at Perugia on 24 July 1216 and was crowned at Rome on 31 August 1216. He took possession of the Lateran on 3 September 1216.

Reader's Guide

The Fifth Crusade was endorsed by the Lateran Council of 1215, and Honorius started preparations for the crusade to begin in 1217. To procure the means necessary, the Pope and the cardinals were to contribute the tenth part of their income for three years. All other ecclesiastics were to contribute the twentieth part. In July 1216, Honorius once again called upon Andrew II of Hungary to fulfill his father's vow to lead a crusade. Like many other rulers, his former pupil, the Emperor Frederick II of Germany, had taken an oath to embark for the Holy Land in 1217. But Frederick II hung back, and Honorius III repeatedly put off the date for the beginning of the expedition. In spite of the insistence of Honorius III, Frederick II still delayed, and the Egyptian campaign failed miserably with the loss of Damietta on 8 September 1221. 24 June 1225 was finally fixed as the date for the departure of Frederick II, and Honorius III brought about his marriage to Queen Isabella II of Jerusalem with a view to binding him closer to the plan. But the Treaty of San Germano in July 1225 permitted a further delay of two years. Pope Honorius III died in Rome on 18 March 1227 without seeing the achievement of his hopes. It was left to his successor, Pope Gregory IX, to insist upon their accomplishment. Pope Honorius III approved the Dominican Order in 1216, the Franciscan Order in 1223, and the Carmelite Order's Rule of St. Albert of Jerusalem in 1226. In 1219, Honorius III invited Saint Dominic and his companions to take up residence at the ancient Roman basilica of Santa Sabina, which they did by early 1220. The studium conventuale at Santa Sabina was the forerunner of the Dominican studium generale at Santa Maria sopra Minerva. In 1217, Honorius III gave the title of King of Serbia to Stefan the First-Crowned. He approved the Franciscan Brothers and Sisters of Penance Rule in 1221 with the bull Memoriale propositi.

Did You Know?

• Honorius III was born in Rome as a son of Aimerico, a member of the Roman Savelli family.
• He served as tutor to the young Frederick II in 1197.
• He compiled the Liber Censuum, a record of the revenues of the Apostolic See, completed in 1192.
• He approved the Dominican Order in 1216, the Franciscan Order in 1223, and the Carmelite Order's Rule in 1226.
• The Fifth Crusade ended in failure with the loss of Damietta on 8 September 1221.