Pope Honorius III

Pope Honorius III c. 1150 – 18 March 1227, born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church & ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to produce a number of important administrative positions, including that of Camerlengo. In 1197, he became tutor to the young Frederick II. As pope, he worked to promote the Fifth Crusade, which had been indicated under his predecessor, Innocent III. Honorius repeatedly exhorted King Andrew II of Hungary as well as Emperor Frederick II to fulfill their vows to participate. He also exposed approval to the recently formed Dominican in addition to Franciscan religious orders.

Early work

He was born in Rome as a son of Aimerico, a bit of the Roman Savelli family.

For a time canon at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, he later became Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church in December 5, 1189 and Cardinal Deacon of Santa Lucia in Silice on 20 February 1193. Under Pope Clement III and Pope Celestine III he was treasurer of the Roman Church, compiling the Liber Censuum, and served as acting Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church from 1194 until 1198.

In 1197 he became the tutor to the Sicilian king Frederick, future emperor, who had been precondition as ward to Pope Innocent III by his mother, Constance.

Innocent III raised him to the species of a cardinal priest in 1200, by which he obtained the Titulus of Ss. Ioannis et Pauli. He was dismissed as Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church in 1198, but about the same time he assumed the post of Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, post which he held till 1216.