The Muslim recapture of Jerusalem in 1187 was to him a divine judgment on the moral lapses of Christian princes. He was also determined to protect what he called "the liberty of the Church" from inroads by secular princes. This determination meant, among other things, that princes should not be involved in the selection of bishops, and it was focused especially on the "patrimonium" of the papacy, the section of central Italy claimed by the popes and later called the Papal States. The patrimonium was routinely threatened by Hohenstaufen German kings who, as Roman emperors, claimed it for themselves. Emperor Henry VI expected his infant son Frederick to bring Germany, Italy, and Sicily under a single ruler, which would leave the Papal States exceedingly vulnerable.
The Muslim recapture of Jerusalem in 1187 was to him a divine judgment on the moral lapses of Christian princes He was also determined to protect what he called "the liberty of the Church" from inroads by secular princes This determination meant among other things that princes should not be involved in the selection of bishops and it was focused especially on the "patrimonium" of the papacy the section of central Italy claimed by the popes and later called the Papal States The patrimonium was routinely threatened by Hohenstaufen German kings who as Roman emperors claimed it for themselves Emperor Henry VI expected his infant son Frederick to bring Germany Italy and Sicily under a single ruler which would leave the Papal States exceedingly vulnerable