Justin Welby would probably agree that in a modern secular age, being the Archbishop of Canterbury is not an easy task. But in the 13th century, it was even harder.
Stephen Langton held the post during the reign of King John, notoriously the worst king of England.
In the mediaeval period, the relationship between the church and the state was not settled. It was a matter of contention, as in 1170, on that infamous December day, Thomas Becket had been slain by two knights for defending the authority of the church against the state.
This was not a new problem, as Archbishop Anselm, who died in 1109, went into exile twice after disagreements with both William Rufus and Henry I, also known as Henry Beauclerc.
Internationally, the same argument was taking place, with much intellectual effort spent on the single verse of St Luke's Gospel, Luke 22:38 “And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, it is enough.”
From this, the argument evolved that both spiritual and temporal power belonged to the church, and that the second sword was merely delegated to the lay authorities, as the clergy could not wield swords.
After Langton's death, the papacy went to war with Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor, which illustrates how important the debate was, and how hard for clergymen at the time. They had to respect the papal interest, while being subjects of a king who often had other concerns, especially for his own power.
Langton's date of birth is not known, but he was born an Englishman, even though most of his studies were abroad. He spent a great deal of time in Paris, both as a student and as a lecturer, but was summoned to Rome by Pope Innocent III in 1206.
At that point he was made a Cardinal, technically a Cardinal priest, as there were lay Cardinals at that time. He was known to be both scholarly and pious, attributes that could not be said to apply to all the clergy.
Roger of Wendover stated that the “Roman court had not his equal for learning or moral excellence”. It was with this reputation that he entered the running to become Archbishop of Canterbury.
In the context of the two swords debate, the appointment of the higher clergy was especially contentious. They were feudal lords as well as churchmen, even abbesses were required to provide men to fight for the king, and the most important bishops and abbots were, therefore, both rich and powerful figures.
Thus, although they were technically appointed by the Pope, he often rubber-stamped the recommendations of the local sovereign.
However, the King could be bound by local conventions, which gave elective rights to a particular community, in this case, the one at Canterbury.
Sixteen monks of Canterbury went to Rome with authority from their fellow monks to choose an archbishop, but with secret orders from King John to select John de Grey, who had already been chosen, but invalidly. The Pope, Innocent III, told them that they had a free choice “so he were but a fit man, and, above all, an Englishman”.
Whether, when he spoke these words, he pointed to Langton, who would have been sitting with the Cardinals, is unknown, but he was there and naturally would have been considered after this heavy papal hint.
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