Editing Gerald of Wales (section)

===Attempts to become bishop of St Davids===
[[Image:StDavidsCathedral Tower&SouthTransept.JPG|200px|thumb|right|[[St Davids Cathedral]] today]]
On the death of Peter de Leia in 1198, the chapter of St Davids again nominated Gerald for the bishopric, but [[Hubert Walter]], Archbishop of Canterbury, refused confirmation. Representatives of the canons followed Richard I to France, but before they could interview him, he died; his successor, King John, received them kindly and granted them permission to hold an election. They were unanimous in their selection of Gerald, and Gerald acted as bishop-elect for much of the next four years; and, as Hubert still refused to confirm the election, Gerald started for Rome to have his election confirmed. There he had an interview with [[Pope Innocent III]]. He visited Rome on three occasions (1199–1200; 1201; 1202–3) in support of his claims. But in 1198, the archbishop had forestalled him, and his agents in Rome undermined Gerald's case; and as the pope was not convinced that St David's was independent of Canterbury, Gerald's mission failed. Gerald had pleaded not only his own cause, but that of St Davids as a [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]] archbishopric (and thus of the same status as Canterbury) reviving the earlier claims of [[Rhygyfarch]] and [[Bernard (bishop of St Davids)|Bishop Bernard of St Davids]]. It was in connexion with this cause that he wrote his books ''De jure Menevensis Ecclesiâ'' and ''De Rebus a Se Gestis''. Gerald returned, and his cause was now supported by the Princes of Wales, most notably [[Llywelyn the Great]], and [[Gruffydd ap Rhys II]], while King John, frequently in conflict with the Welsh, warmly espoused the cause of the Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1202, Gerald was accused of stirring up the Welsh to rebellion and was put on trial, but the trial came to nothing as the principal judges were absent. After this long struggle, the chapter of St David's deserted Gerald, and having been obliged to leave Wales, he fled to Rome. The ports had been closed against him, so he travelled in secret. In April 1203 Pope Innocent III annulled both elections, and [[Geoffrey of Henlaw]] was appointed to the See of St Davids, despite the strenuous exertions of Gerald. Travelling back to France, he was briefly imprisoned there for these actions. He was afterwards reconciled with the king and was forced to vow never again to support the primacy of St Davids over Canterbury. The expenses of his unsuccessful election were paid by the crown. Gerald maintained his appointment had been prevented by fear of its possible effect on national politics in Wales. He famously complained in a letter to Innocent III, "Because I am a Welshman am I to be debarred from all preferments in Wales? On the same reasoning so would an Englishman in England, a Frenchman in France, and Italian in Italy. But I am sprung from the Princes of Wales and the Barons of the Marches, and when I see injustice in either race I hate it."<ref name="Biography - Gerald of Wales">{{Cite web |title=Gerald of Wales |url=http://www.castlewales.com/gerald.html |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=www.castlewales.com}}</ref> At this point he resigned his position as archdeacon of Brecon.