A letter from Innocent III, pope (1210)

Translated letter:

To the illustrious queen of the French. Sympathizing with your bitterness in paternal affection, we advise your Serenity as consolation that you, who with uprightness approached others with the King your consort in matrimonial union, venerable Queen, govern yourself in the distress of imminent battle by which God wished to examine your virtue, forming you in all things which seem adverse and harsh, so that bearing them more from mental fear than necessity, you not obey so much as assent to divine will in them; taking what happens against your desire, paying your dues, not sad but happy, expecting that all things weighed out in the world of this misery are like necessary dues of human life to which no one can ask or hope to be immune with any success. On that account, dearest daughter in Christ, console yourself for your fortune and putting on a virile spirit do not give up its constancy, so that as if conquered by your own fate you sigh for what happens to you that you will not see happen to so many who are unworthy. For virtue weakens if it has no adversary, which appears when patience makes manifest how great it is or what it is worth; what can truly be made matter for consolation should never be corrupted in exaggeration of sorrow. Indeed the heavenly Father, like carnal parents not bringing up in pleasures the children whom they intend to order to virtue, wished you to be tested by these, to prepare you not only as a beloved daughter but as a chosen one. Thinking it more dangerous that boldness be nourished among the bad through license than that virtue advance among the chosen through discipline, accept humbly that your patience be tested. And since suffering is not to be suffered by those suffering patiently, so you should bear everything with equanimity, because he in whose hand the heart of the King lies, who will turn it wherever he wills, incited by the merit of your humility, might not only remove the adversity, but reward your patience by reconciling the mind of your husband to you, and by his grace, who is the true spouse of faithful souls, recompense the anguish of your wait. Be sure about us that we will never withdraw the support of apostolic favor from you in whatever is appropriate and fitting. Given at the Latern, nones of May, in the 13th year of our pontificate.

Original letter:

Super amaritudine in qua es paterno tibi compatientes affectu, serenitatem tuam consolando monemus ut quae alios cum rege consorte tuo per matrimonialem ipsius copulam accessisti rectura, veneranda regina tui, te regas in imminentis pugnae molestia, per quam Deus tuam voluit examinare virtutem; sic in omnibus quae adversa videntur et dura te formans ut plus ex formidine mentis ea quam ex necessitatis instantia perferendo, non tam pareas quam super his assentias voluntati divinae, nec unquam tristis excipiens quod acciderit contra votum, tributum tuum hilaris, non invita, persolvas; attendens quod universa quae in miseriae hujus mundo a quocunque penduntur, quasi quaedam necessaria sunt humanae vitae tributa, quorum immunitatem nemo poterit cum effectu vel petere vel sperare. Quapropter, charissima in Christo filia, de tua te consolare fortuna, et animum induendo virilem, ab ipsius constantia non recedas, ut quasi de proprio fato conquesta, illud tibi gemas accidere quod multis indignioribus non videris evenire. Cum enim sine adversario virtus marceat, quae quanta sit, aut quid valeat, tunc apparet cum illam patientia manifestat, in exaggerationem doloris nequaquam est pervertendum quod verius potest ad consolationis materiam imputari. Pater quippe coelestis carnalium more parentum, non educantium filios in deliciis, quos intendunt ad virtutem componere, te per haec voluit experiri, et sibi, non tanquam delicatam, sed sicut electam filiam praeparare. Qua de re periculosius reputans quod in reprobis alitur audacia per licentiam quam quod virtus per disciplinam proficit in electis, patientiam tuam feras humiliter exerceri, et quia patientibus patienter passio non est pati, sic aequanimiter sustineas universa quod ille in cujus manu cor regis est, et quocunque voluerit vertet illud, humilitatis tuae merito provocatus, non solum adversitatis causa submota, conciliando tibi animum viri tui, tuam remuneret patientiam, verum etiam gratia sui (Spiritus), qui verus sponsus est fidelium animarum, exspectationis tuae angustiam recompenset, secura de nobis quod in quibus oportuerit et decuerit, nequaquam tibi suffragium favoris apostolici subtrahemus. Datum, ut ni alia per totum.

Historical context:

Philip made an attempt to meet with Ingeborg in 1207, but, he claimed, maleficence interfered again. He made her life even more difficult in the hopes that she would ask for a divorce and retire to a convent. The pope continued to send legates to investigate the situation, which dragged on until 1212 when Innocent finally denied Philip’s claims. Meanwhile, Innocent wrote this even more discouraging letter to Ingeborg, in which the convulted rhetoric suggests the author’s discomfort with his message.

Printed source:

PL216, ep.13.66, c.258-59 and HGF19 p.534, same text but two words, manu and tibi missing in HGF

Date:

1210