The pope rebukes King Eirik, Bjarne of Giske is excommunicated
DN 17/880 · [12 April 1285 (?) · Perugia
What the letter says
In 1285 Pope Honorius IV forwards a letter that his predecessor Martin IV had had written to King Eirik Magnusson. Bishops Andres of Oslo and Torfinn of Hamar have complained to the pope that the king's guardians broke the settlement with the church, introduced new laws and drove the archbishop and the bishops into exile. The letter says that the archbishop had excommunicated two of the guardians, Bjarne of Giske and Andres Plytt, and that Andres died excommunicated and was nevertheless buried in the king's chapel in Bergen. The pope admonishes the king to stop the abuses and honour the men of the church.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
Letter from the worthy lord Pope Honorius. Honorius, bishop, servant of the servants of God, sends his dearest son in Christ, the venerable Eirik, King of Norway, greeting and apostolic blessing. Master Peter of Milan, our beloved son and chancellor of the holy church, told us in our presence that while Pope Martin of blessed memory, our immediate predecessor, was still alive, he received certain letters issued in the name of that same pope with this wording: «Martin, bishop, servant of the servants of God, sends his dearest son in Christ, the venerable Eirik, King of Norway, greeting and apostolic blessing. Since royal honour obliges one to love just judgement, it is fitting that you hold dear in your heart that royal power orders its actions with prior prudence, so that no accusation or sharp rebuke is needed, and that everything in the king's conduct is praiseworthy and pleasing to God, harmonious, kindly weighed and just. Our venerable brothers A[ndres], Bishop of Oslo, and Torfinn of Hamar laid before us, on their own behalf and on behalf of all the other bishops, prelates and clerics of the holy church of Nidaros in the same archdiocese, what had previously taken place between the archbishop of Nidaros of good memory and King Magnus of Norway of venerable memory, your father. In particular it concerned the fact that this king and the sysselmenn (royal district officers) of his realm made changes to the good old laws that had been in force in the land, and
Original text (excerpt)
bref virduligs herra Honorij papa. Honorius pafi þion þiona guðs. sendir hinum kærazsta sinum syni j christo agøtum iriki Noregs konungi quediu oc pastoliga blezan. Meistari Petr af Mediolan. vor elskulegr sonr ok heilagrar kirkiu kanzeler, sagdi suo os hiauerandum. at þa er a lifi var søllar minningar Martinis pafi. er nøstr var fyri os. tok hann vidr nockurum brefum þeim sem saman voro gorr vnder þess ens sama pafans nafni med þessi formeran. Martinus biskup þion þiona guds sender enum kørast
Background
Bjarne of Giske is Bjarne Erlingsson, who sat in the regency government for the young King Eirik after Magnus the Lawmender died in 1280. The guardians wanted to strengthen royal power and withdrew rights the church had gained in the settlement at Tønsberg in 1277, and this led to a bitter church conflict with Archbishop Jon. Excommunication meant that the excommunicated person was shut out from the fellowship and sacraments of the church, and other Christians were not to associate with him. The archbishop died in exile in 1282, and the bishops took the case on to the curia, the papal court. This is a papal letter, and it is one of the clearest sources showing that Bjarne Erlingsson stood at the centre of national politics. The letter gives the church's version of the conflict, so its portrayal of the guardians is partisan.
People: Bjarne Erlingsson