Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why did Pope Innocent III support King John against the Magna Carta?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

John John of England, from an early 14th-century illumination.

Pope Innocent III supported King John against the Magna Carta primarily because of their established feudal relationship. In 1213, King John had surrendered England to the papacy, receiving it back as a papal fief and swearing homage and fealty to the pope.12

Because England was technically a papal fief, Innocent III viewed the Magna Carta as a violation of his rights as the king's feudal lord. Consequently, the pope declared the charter null and void, siding with John in the ensuing conflict against the rebellious barons. This alliance was the culmination of a political shift that began when John, seeking to secure the papacy as an ally in his struggles against France and his own baronage, reconciled with the church after a long dispute over the appointment of Stephen Langton as archbishop of Canterbury.231