 Before Becket returned to England , on 1 December 1170 , he excommunicated Roger , as well as Gilbert Foliot the Bishop of Lincoln and Josceline de Bohon the Bishop of Salisbury . After Becket landed in England the three excommunicates went to Becket and asked for absolution , but while Becket was willing to absolve Gilbert and Josceline , he insisted that only the pope could absolve an archbishop . Roger persuaded the others that they should stick together , and all three went to King Henry in Normandy , to secure the king 's permission for their appeals to Rome . 
