Burn of the Day

Is this supposed to be an endorsement of papal effectiveness in war?
The Normans won. They stayed. Long time, I think…

Is this supposed to be absolving soldiers of obedience to their leader for fear of punishment? I kinda heard from a lot of catholicky people that obedience was now the most essential thing. I guess that was just obedience to the mitred set…

At least Shakespeare had a balanced view:
Every subject’s duty is the King’s; but every subject’s soul is his own.

The apparent contradiction here led me to do a little digging:

After having touched on several different aspects of these decrees,

especially as regards their authenticity and the date, the author then

refers to a matter of particular importance : the Church’s apparently

inconsistent attitude.

The Pope had in fact given his blessing to William’s expedition

and had sent him a consecrated banner which was to be a rallying point

for his followers at Hastings. Why then should he have ordered his

legate to convene and preside at a Synod that imposed such severe

penance on all who had fought with William in that battle?

In this connection, the author mentions that shortly before this

council met, Ermenfrid had presided at the councils of Winchester and

Windsor, which were notable steps in the movement for the reform of

the Saxon Church. Having been superseded by Norman clerics, the

Saxon Bishops and Abbots had paid the price for their spiritual and

moral laxity. It is therefore likely, according to the author, that the

Pope had now decided to make the Norman soldiers answer in their

turn for their excesses and depredations. The entire Christian world

had been horrified and shocked by the atrocities which had been com-

mitted and consequently the Church considered that the time had come

to inflict penalties.

https://international-review.icrc.org/sites/default/files/S0020860400010354a.pdf