Gra w rytuały. Działania papieża Eugeniusza III

• Authors: Wojciech Fałkowski
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

PL

Game of Rituals. The Activity of Pope Eugene IIIThe onset of the pontificate of Pope Eugene III (1145) abounded with dramatic events associated with the revolt of the citizens of Rome and battles waged in the streets. The papal entourage realized that the conflict could not be resolved exclusively by resorting to force or negotiations. This was the reason for the application of socio-technical undertakings intent on creating an image of the pope as a great statesmen and leader, superior to his opponents and monarchs across the Continent. Use was made of the triumphant entry of a victorious commander and a newly created ritual of kissing papal feet with adulation and thanksgiving. The title vicarius Christi was to recall the papal right to provide protection to all Christian subjects, rulers and people. The return of Eugene III to Rome referred to the model of the triumphant adventus regis modelled on the entry of Christ to Jerusalem. At the time of the pope’s arrival in Dijon, Louis VII kissed his foot, as did chosen patricians upon the papal return to the Lateran. The gesture of humility and adoration was performed by the monarch who transformed the welcome into a scene of recognition for supreme authority. From that time, the See tried to impose the ritual of kissing the pope’s feet as part of the official protocol. This tendency became particularly obvious during the pontificate of Alexander III, when it was applied frequently and upon the occasion of ceremonies conducted upon various scales. The ritual took place for the first time in 1162 when Henry II Plantagenet commenced a meeting with Eugene III by kissing the pope’s feet. It was repeated during an audience held at the Lateran, when an Arabian envoy first kissed the feet of Eugene III and then fell to his knees and bent his head. In 1177, after a peace treaty was signed in Venice with Fredrick I Barbarossa, kissing papal feet ceased being a mere gesture of entreaty and a sign of respect and changed into an act of subjugation.

Keywords

PL

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla PAN w Warszawie
• Journal: Kwartalnik Historyczny
• Year: 2013
• Volume: 120
• Issue: 2

Dates

published

2013

online

2013-02-01

Contributors

author

Wojciech Fałkowski

Identifiers

DOI

10.12775/KH.2013.120.2.02