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To my family for giving me life and love - Bilkent University

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growing effect of these groups; neither the monks nor the secular clergy were<br />

sufficiently involved in preaching. 49<br />

It was probably Innocent III who first realized fully that a compromise<br />

was necessary. In 1201, the Church, anxious to win apostolic move<strong>me</strong>nts as allies<br />

against more threatening heresies like the Cathars or Patarenes, made <strong>for</strong> the first<br />

ti<strong>me</strong> in its history a definite move to draw a line between lay <strong>and</strong> clerical<br />

preaching. 50 While approving the propositum of the Humiliati, Innocent allowed<br />

them to “proponere verbum exhortationis, monentes et inducentes ad mores<br />

honestos et opera pietatis”, but prohibited them to talk “de articulis fidei et<br />

sacra<strong>me</strong>ntis ecclesie.” 51 Lay preaching, which was to consist of a call to penance<br />

<strong>for</strong> the remission of the sins, <strong>and</strong> of moral edification, was allowed in public.<br />

Preaching on the articles of faith <strong>and</strong> sacra<strong>me</strong>nts of the church, which clearly<br />

necessitated theological education, was reserved to clergy.<br />

It was the authorization <strong>for</strong> exactly this kind of preaching that Innocent<br />

had conferred on Francis <strong>and</strong> his twelve companions in 1210, who at that ti<strong>me</strong><br />

were exclusively a lay fraternity. 52 Whether, in addition to that, Innocent had<br />

49<br />

G.G. Coulton, Five Centuries of Religion, Vol. II: The Friars <strong>and</strong> the Dead Weight of Tradition<br />

1200-1400 A.D. (Cambridge, 1927), p. 111<br />

50<br />

On the ef<strong>for</strong>ts of Innocent III to win over the heretical groups see Jane Sayers, Innocent III:<br />

leader of Europe, 1198-1216 (London, 1994). On the distinctive approach of Innocent III, see<br />

also M. Lambert, Medieval Heresy-Popular Move<strong>me</strong>nts from Bogomil to Hus (Birkenhead, 1977)<br />

pp. 95-6<br />

51<br />

“Vestri quoque de cetero moris erit, singulis diebus dominicis ad audiendum Dei verbum in<br />

loco idoneo convenire, ubi aliquis vel aliqui fratrum probate fidei et experte religionis, qui<br />

‘potentes sint in opere ac sermone’ (Luc. 24, 19), licentia diocesani episcopi verbum exhortationis<br />

proponent his qui convenerint ad audiendum verbum Dei, monentes et inducentes eos ad mores<br />

honestos et opera pietatis, ita quod de articulis fidei et sacra<strong>me</strong>ntis ecclesie non loquantur”:<br />

L<strong>and</strong>ini, Causes, p. 22n. See also Yves M.J.Congar, Lay People in the Church: A Study <strong>for</strong> a<br />

Theology of Laity, trans. Donald Attwater (London, 1959), p. 287.<br />

52<br />

Innocent’s reply to Francis was noted by Celano: “Ite cum Dominus, fratres, et prout Dominus<br />

vobis inspirare dignabitur, omnibus poenitentiam praedicate”: Celano I, pp. 26-7.<br />

36

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