Sender
Honorius III, pope
Receiver
Margaret of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders
Translated letter:
Honorius bishop to the noble woman M[argaret], sister of J[oan], countess of Flanders, the spirit of wiser counsel. That we deny you the address of greeting proceeds from no other cause than that we have never been accustomed to greet those bound by excommunication. Since you however are freed through our zeal from his hands with whom you were staying to the danger of your salvation and reputation, we have given to our venerable brother the bishop of Cambrai and our beloved sons the abbot of St. John in Valenciennes in the Cambrai diocese and the archdeacon of Cambrai, orders that they absolve you from the sentence of excommunication which you incurred from this cause. We have led your nobility, asking and admonishing, ordering through apostolic writings to you, that you strive in all things to keep yourself praiseworthily and honorably as fits your prudence, accepting the counsel and will of our beloved daughter in Christ the noble woman Countess of Flanders, your sister, as the magnitude of your will demands, knowing that, if you did this, we would bestow on you apostolic favor willingly and liberally, in whatever was fitting.
Dated at the Lateran, 16th kalends of December, sixth year.
Original letter:
HONORIUS episcopus ... nobili mulieri M. germanae J. Comitissae Vlandrensis, spiritum consilii sanioris. Quod tibi salutationis alloquium denegamus, non ex alia causa procedit, nisi quia numquam salutare consuevimus excommunicatione ligatos. Cum autem sis per studium nostrum de illius manibus liberata, cum quo in salutis et famae tuae periculum morabaris, nosque venerabili fratri nostro episcopo Cameracensi [Godefrido de Conde], et dilectis filiis abbati Sancti-Joannis in Valencenis Cameracensis dioecesis et archidiacono Cameracensi, dedimus in mandatis ut te absolvant ab excommunicationis sententia quam incurreras hac de causa; nobilitatem tuam rogandam duximus et monendam, per apostolica tibi scripta mandantes, quatenus, consilio et voluntati dilectae in Christo filiae nobilis mulieris Comitissae Flandrensis, germanae tuae, sicut tuam decet prudentiam, acquiescens, studeas in omnibus te habere Iaudabiliter et honeste, prout magnitudo tuae voluntatis exposcit: sciens quod, si hoc feceris, nos, in quibus decuerit, tibi favorem apostolicum libenter et liberaliter impendemus. Datum Laterani, xvi kal. decembris, anno sexto.
Historical context:
Honorius absolve Margaret from excommunication because she has left the man she had eloped with and had children with, Burchard of Avesnes. The pope admonishes her to live according to her sister’s advice.
Printed source:
HGF, 19.716.
Date:
1221, November 17
