Lotharius of Cremona

Lotharius of CremonaAlthough Lotharius of Cremona taught Roman law at Bologna in the last two decades of the twelfth and the early thirteenth century, following a career that did not normally lead to advancement in the Church, he became bishop of Vercelli in 1205 and was elected archbishop of Pisa sometime before December 1208.1 ie is one of the few exceptions to the rule that civilians did not become bishops.'Pope Innocent II I sent two decretals to Lotharius while he was bishop of Vercelli that were later included in decretal collections.The first was the famous Licet ex suscepto in which he instructed him that citizens of Vercelli could appeal to the pope only if the consuls of the city did not render appropriate justice to them. 3 The second letter, written in February, 1206, arose from a complaint of the bishop of Novara.Lotharius had, it seems, been conducting an investigation of the church at Novara.Innocent, however, received complaints that he was not following the prescribed rules of judicial procedure as he carried out his duties.If these reports of judicial improprieties reported to the curia were correct, Innocent exhorted him to adhere henceforth to rules, lest injury arise from the birthplace of laws. 4 From the language Innocent used, Lotharius had been accused of taking procedural shortcuts.5 1 Lotharius was, according to C. Eubel, Hierarchia catholica medii aevi (2 vols.Monasterii 1913-23) I 399, 520, bishop of Vercelli, 1205-1208, and then, archbishop of Pisa from 1208, until he was translated to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem in 1218.Lotharius never became the patriarch of Jerusalem, see G. Fedalto, La Chiesa lalina in Oriente, 2: Hierarchia latina orientis (Studi Religiosi 3; Verona 1976) 133-35.The connection between the bishop of Vercelli and archbishop of Pisa is certain.Innocent I I I mentioned that Lotharius, archbishop of Pisa, had been bishop of Vercelli in a letter to the bishop-elect of Novara: 'Ex litteris yen.fratris nostri patriarchae Antiocheni', Potth.4095, PL 216.320-22.I can find no reason for giving Lotharius the family name 'Rosarius'.No contemporary source gives Lotharius this family name.