Pope Innocent IV

Pope from 1243 to 1254, born Sinibaldo Fieschi, who opposed Emperor Frederick II, convened the First Council of Lyon, and expanded papal legal authority.

Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor: Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of Sicily whose prolonged conflict with the papacy shaped thirteenth-century politics. Innocent excommunicated Frederick and renewed the struggle over imperial power.
Fieschi family: A powerful noble family from Liguria that produced churchmen and political figures in medieval Italy. Sinibaldo Fieschi's family connections helped place him within elite ecclesiastical networks.
Innocent IV: The name Sinibaldo Fieschi took upon his election as pope in 1243. This papal name identifies the central figure of the pontificate.
Deposition of Frederick II: The First Council of Lyon's 1245 declaration that Frederick II was deprived of imperial and royal authority. Innocent’s council issued the most dramatic judgment of his conflict with the emperor.
Excommunication: A Christian ecclesiastical penalty excluding a person from communion and certain religious privileges. Innocent used excommunication as a weapon in his conflict with Frederick II.
Genoa: An Italian maritime republic whose commercial and political influence expanded across the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages. Innocent was born into the Fieschi family of the Genoese region.
Sinibaldo Fieschi: The birth name of Pope Innocent IV, a thirteenth-century canon lawyer and head of the Catholic Church. His family identity preceded his election and papal title.
Tatar envoy mission of 1245: A papal diplomatic mission led by John of Plano Carpini to the Mongol Empire, dispatched by Innocent IV. The mission reflects Innocent’s response to Mongol expansion and his effort to communicate with its rulers.
First Council of Lyon: An ecumenical council held at Lyon in 1245, which deposed Frederick II and addressed church reform and the Mongol threat. Innocent convened the council to formalize opposition to Frederick.
Canon law: The body of rules and legal principles governing the Christian Church and its institutions. Innocent trained as a canon lawyer before becoming pope.

Linked from 12 pages