Lawrence of Portugal
Encyclopedia
Lawrence of Portugal was a Franciscan
friar and an envoy sent by Pope Innocent IV
to the Mongols
in 1245.
A letter survives in the Register of Innocent IV, dating Lawrence's departure from Lyon
to 5 March 1245. The letter, published in Monumenta Germaniae Historica
and usually referred to as Dei patris immensa
, suggests that his mission was primarily religious in character. Lawrence was to have approached the Mongols from the Levant
. Nothing is known of his fate, and the possibility remains that he never left.
A second Franciscan mission, led by Giovanni da Pian del Carpine
, left Lyon on April 16, 1245 and arrived in the Mongol capital of Karakorum
more than a year later.
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friar and an envoy sent by Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
to the Mongols
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
in 1245.
A letter survives in the Register of Innocent IV, dating Lawrence's departure from Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
to 5 March 1245. The letter, published in Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Monumenta Germaniae Historica
The Monumenta Germaniae Historica is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published sources for the study of German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.The society sponsoring the series was established by the Prussian reformer Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr vom...
and usually referred to as Dei patris immensa
Dei patris immensa
Dei patris immensa was a letter written by Pope Innocent IV to the Mongols . It was written on March 5, 1245, was an exposition of the Christian faith, and urged Mongols to accept baptism...
, suggests that his mission was primarily religious in character. Lawrence was to have approached the Mongols from the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
. Nothing is known of his fate, and the possibility remains that he never left.
A second Franciscan mission, led by Giovanni da Pian del Carpine
Giovanni da Pian del Carpine
Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, or John of Plano Carpini or John of Pian de Carpine or Joannes de Plano was one of the first Europeans to enter the court of the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He is the author of the earliest important Western account of northern and central Asia, Rus, and other...
, left Lyon on April 16, 1245 and arrived in the Mongol capital of Karakorum
Karakorum
Karakorum was the capital of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, and of the Northern Yuan in the 14-15th century. Its ruins lie in the northwestern corner of the Övörkhangai Province of Mongolia, near today's town of Kharkhorin, and adjacent to the Erdene Zuu monastery...
more than a year later.