Pope Innocent IV- 180th Pope || A Journey Through Apostolic Succession ||

CCC1087 Thus the risen Christ, by giving the Holy Spirit to the apostles, entrusted to them his power of sanctifying: they became sacramental signs of Christ. By the power of the same Holy Spirit they entrusted this power to their successors. This "apostolic succession" structures the whole liturgical life of the Church and is itself sacramental, handed on by the sacrament of Holy Orders.

So today we hear about our 180th Pope in Apostolic succession,that is Pope Innocent IV.
He was among the most important popes of the medieval period with his reign from 1243 A.D. to 1254 A.D.

Few Facts about Pope Innocent IV

• Pope Innocent IV was born with the name of Sinibaldo Fieschi , went to the most illustrious canonists’ school and grew into a canon law master. Sinibaldo served as the canon for the Genoa Cathedral before becoming the canon of the Parma Cathedral.
• He Served as bishop of Albenga in Italy then as vice chancellor for the church and the St. Lawrence cardinal priest in 1227 A.D. Sinibaldo rose to become the successor to Pope Celestine IV with election to the papacy.

• Papacy began – June 25, 1243
• Papacy ended – December 7, 1254
• Successor – Pope Alexander IV


Next we look into what happened during his Papal reign

▪️The hallmark of his reign was conflict between the pope and the Holy Roman Emperor. Excommunicated by Gregory IX, Frederick II sought reconciliation with Innocent. Talks broke down over the control of Lombardy. In 1244, Frederick marched to Rome to imprison the pope, who fled to Lyons, where he called a council that deposed Frederick and made Henry Raspe anti-king.

▪️The council also discussed the threat posed by the Mongol invasion and the liberation of the Holy Sepulchre. That year, King/St. Louis IX began the Sixth Crusade in an effort to mediate peace between Innocent and Frederick, Innocent dispatched missionaries to convert the Mongols the next year. In 1250, Frederick passed away while still excommunicated . After three years in Rome, Pope Innocent made his way back. In December 1254, he passed away.