Editing Pope Martin IV (section)

==Cardinal Simon de Brion==
On 17 December 1261,<ref>Date as given by Mann and Hollnsteiner 1932. Conrad Eubel, ''Hierarchia catholica medii aevi'' I editio altera (Monasterii 1913), p. 8, with n. 1.</ref> the new French Pope, [[Pope Urban IV|Urban IV]] (Jacques Pantaléon), made Chancellor de Brion [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinal-priest]], with the ''[[Titular church|titulus]]'' of the church of St. Cecilia. This would have entailed Simon de Brion's residence in [[Rome]], but the affairs of Pope Urban required that he send a representative of the highest level to France to deal personally with King Louis IX and his brother Charles of Anjou and Provence.  Simon's previous experience at the French Court made him the perfect choice as Legate.

Cardinal Simon therefore returned to France as [[papal legate|Papal Legate]] for Urban IV and also for his successor [[Pope Clement IV]] in 1264–1268.<ref>A large collection of letters from Urban IV and from Clement IV to Cardinal Simon can be found in:  Edmund Martène and Ursine Durand, ''Thesaurus novus anecdotorum'' Tomus Secundus (Paris 1717), 1–636.  A not inconsiderable number of these concern money.</ref> In 1264, on the eve of S. Bartholomew, he held a general synod at Paris.<ref>F. Duchesne, ''Preuves de l' histoire de tous les cardinaux françois'' (Paris 1660) p. 219.</ref> He was appointed again, by [[Pope Gregory X]] on 1 August 1274, and he served continuously in France until 1279.  His first task was to raise support and money for a [[Crusade against Manfred]], the Hohenstaufen candidate for the Imperial Crown.<ref>Martene and Durand, p. 114, Epistle 32.</ref> He immediately became deeply involved in the negotiations for papal support for the assumption of the crown of [[Sicily]] by [[Charles of Anjou]].  As Legate he presided over several [[synod]]s on reform, and on the raising of funds for Pope Gregory's crusade. The most important of these was held at [[Bourges]] on 13 September 1276.<ref>Lorenzo Cardella, ''Memorie storiche de' Cardinali della Santa Romana chiesa''  I. 2 (Roma 1792), p. 304; Adolphe-Charles Peltier, ''Dictionnaire universel des conciles'' I (Paris 1847), 358. Carl Joseph von Hefele, ''Conciliengeschichte nach dem Quellen bearbeitet'' second edition Volume VI (Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder 1890) 176–177.</ref>

Signatures on papal bulls indicate that Cardinal Simon was back in Viterbo by 11 January 1268. In a letter of 14 or 15 January 1268,<ref>''Epistole et dictamina Clementis pape quarti''  (ed. Matthias Thumser) (Berlin 2007), no. 418, pp. 258–259.</ref> Pope Clement IV wrote to Cardinal Simon de Brion that he had heard that the Cardinal had fallen from his horse and in the accident had injured his leg.  He also wrote that Conradin and Ludwig Duke of Bavaria were at Verona, and were pressing for Pavia. A general war was likely.  Cardinal Simon's injury must not have been severe, since, on 3 April 1268, the Pope wrote to him with the request (not an order) that he undertake a legation to Germany (Teutonia), if he wished and if it were possible. The Pope needed a prudent and faithful man, who had clean hands and eyes wide open, who could stay centered on the business and let himself stray neither right nor left, who could preserve the Empire, keep the Apostolic See free from scandal, and the neighboring kingdoms free from danger. In vetting names, Simon seemed the most suitable.<ref>''Epistole et dictamina Clementis pape quarti''  (ed. Matthias Thumser) (Berlin 2007), no. 473, p. 292.</ref>

Pope Clement IV (Guy Foulques) fell ill on the Feast of S. Cecilia (22 November), and died at Viterbo on 29 November 1268.  He had governed the Church for three years, nine months, and twenty-four days.  The See of Peter was vacant for two years and nine months.  Cardinal Simon de Brion came from France to attend the Conclave, which took place in the Episcopal Palace, next to the Cathedral of S. Lorenzo in Viterbo.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/SV1268.html| title = Sede Vacante and Conclave, 1268–1271 (Dr. J. P. Adams).}}</ref> He was the senior cardinal-priest.  Around Pentecost of 1270 (1 June), Cardinal Simon and Cardinal Riccardo Annibaldi of S. Angelo had to leave the Conclave and retire to their residences for the sake of their health. On 22 August 1270, he was one of the signatories to the letter of protest sent by the Cardinals to Raynerius Gatti, Captain of the City of Viterbo, to cease and desist from their harassment of the Cardinals and their suites.<ref>Francesco Cristofori, ''Il conclave del MCCLXX in Viterbo'' (Roma-Siena-Viterbo 1888) pp. 343–344.</ref> He was one of the cardinals who signed the electoral compact on September, 1270, to leave the election of a new pope to a committee of six, promising to accept the committee's decision.<ref>F. Cristofori, ''Le tombe dei pape in Viterbo'' (Siena 1887), pp. 208–209.</ref> He was not, however, one of the six cardinals elected to the Compromise Committee that selected Archdeacon Teobaldo Visconti as pope on 1 September 1270.  The newly elected pope was not present in Viterbo, but was serving on Crusade with King Edward I of England.  He arrived in Italy on 1 January 1271, and travelled to Viterbo, where he arrived early in February.  He accepted the election, and chose to be called [[Gregory X]]. He and the Curia travelled to Rome, arriving on 13 March.  On 19 March he was ordained a priest, and on 27 March he was consecrated bishop, and then crowned by Cardinal Giovanni Gaetano Orsini.