The «Crusade» of the Excommunicate Voivode: Thomas Szécsényi in Fall 1330

Abstract On 10 January 1331, Pope John XXII demanded from Andrew Szécsi, bishop of Transylvania, and the cousin of Denis, former ban of Severin, not to publicize the excommunication of the voivode of Transylvania, Thomas Szécsényi. The pope acted at King Charles-Robert of Anjou’s request, who had urged him to forgive the voivode and convinced him – after the excommunication – that the voivode had acted in the king’s rightful interest. John XXII did not say anything about the reasons that had led to Szécsényi’s excommunication, although he mentioned that this was not the first time that Szécsényi had been excommunicated by Szécsi. On 6 January 1331, Pope John XXII, at Thomas’ demand, had already granted the voivode a full remission of his sins in the eventuality of his death, provided that the voivode would not commit his previous crimes. “In both Papal registers in which the remission was preserved, it was entered after the message sent by the pope to Bishop Szécsi. We can only speculate as to the reasons of the “delay”. John XXII was not exactly completely open towards his Hungarian correspondents. Additionally, Charles-Robert had just returned from a disastrous campaign in Wallachia. Furthermore, Transylvania already had its fair share of “private conflicts”. According to Louis I of Anjou’s Illuminated Chronicle (late 1350s), in autumn 1330, Thomas Szécsényi († 1354) and Denis Szécsi († c. 1341), former ban of Severin, had instigated Louis’ father, Charles-Robert ((† 1342), to attack Basarab, voivode of Wallachia, in autumn 1330. According to John XXII, in 1327, Basarab, alike Thomas himself, was one the ‘Catholic princes’ under Charles-Robert’s arch-royal authority. In this framework, the letters published here widen the complexity of otherwise well-known royal troubles of 1330.