Honorius of Kent facts for kids

Honorius of Kent (sometimes called Honorius Magister) was an important English church leader and legal expert in the Middle Ages. He was an Archdeacon of Richmond and studied canon law, which is the law of the Christian Church. He died sometime after the year 1210.

Becoming a Scholar

Honorius earned the title magister, which meant he had a university education. It showed he was a skilled teacher or scholar. He was from Kent, England. He studied in Paris between 1185 and 1192.

By 1192, Honorius was teaching at Oxford University. That year, he argued a legal case in front of important church officials called papal legates. These legates were like special representatives of the Pope. Honorius, along with a few others, were among the first teachers of church law at Oxford.

Working for Archbishops

Honorius worked as a clerk for Geoffrey, the Archbishop of York, starting in 1195. He also held a special church position called a prebend in the Diocese of York.

In 1198, Archbishop Geoffrey chose Honorius to be the Archdeacon of Richmond. An archdeacon is a senior church official who helps the bishop manage a part of the diocese. However, King Richard I of England appointed someone else for the job. Honorius was removed from the position.

He then asked the Pope for help. In 1202, the Pope agreed that Honorius should be the Archdeacon of Richmond. While he was still fighting for his job, Honorius left Geoffrey's service. By 1202, he began working for Hubert Walter, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury. Archbishop Walter gave Honorius two benefices, which are church positions that provide income.

While working for Archbishop Walter, Honorius often worked with other scholars. In 1203, he helped try to settle a disagreement between Archbishop Walter and another important person, Gerald of Wales. Honorius also traveled to Rome for Archbishop Walter. There, he acted as the archbishop's lawyer, called a proctor, in a legal case at the Curia. The Curia is like the Pope's government.

Royal Service and Later Life

After Archbishop Walter died in 1205, King John hired Honorius. Honorius became one of the king's proctors in Rome. He helped the king during a big argument about who should be the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

However, in 1208, Honorius disagreed with King John. Because of this, he lost his church position again. The last official record of Honorius is from 1208 or 1209. He died sometime after 1210.

Honorius's Writings

Honorius was a canon lawyer, which means he was an expert in church law. He wrote an important book called Summa decretalium quaestionum. This book was written between 1186 and 1190. It is divided into three main parts:

• How church legal cases were handled.
• Laws about church ceremonies and church jobs.
• Rules about marriage.

Honorius was part of a group of legal experts who studied church law. His book, the Summa, was one of the most popular books from this group. The way he organized his book influenced many later church lawyers. He also wrote notes, called glosses, on another important church law book called Decretum.

He might have written another work called De iure canonico tractaturus, but we are not completely sure. This last book only exists in one copy. A medieval writer named Thomas of Marlborough said that Honorius was one of his teachers.