154 THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS
the reason for his return, but the Pope (Gregory IX) would
accept no excuse and the ban of excommunication was
launched against the Emperor.
Frederick was not a religious man, but the anathema ,of
the Church interfered with his political ambitions. What
weighed even more with him, however, was the criticism of
the princes. He was held up to contempt as a man who had
deserted his army and basely turned away from the holy
war to enjoy the luxuries of his court $ and the Emperor
realised that his prestige could be restored only if he resumed
his interrupted Crusade. There were obstacles in his way.
The Holy See had a year before been in favour of the
expedition. As Frederick was now banned by the Pope,
however, the Church frowned upon everything that he
proposed. The Emperor appealed for the sentence to be can-
celled, but he had expelled the Pope from Rome and had
fought so bitterly against the ecclesiastics that the appeal was
rejected. Frederick was resolved that he would sail to the
Holy Land, and Gregory was equally resolved that the
Emperor should not take part in the holy war. Crusades
were the affair of the Church, and in the opinion of the Pope
it was scandalous that an excommunicated man should dare
to fight for the cross. The Church wished to see the Holy
City restored to Christendom, but only by an army of
Crusaders vowed to the Church and under the leadership of
a man who admitted the Pope to be supreme in everything
that related to Crusading expeditions.
When therefore Frederick announced his intention of
sailing for the East in the summer of 1228, the Church
forbade all Christians, under pain of excommunication, to
take service with the Emperor. Sermons were ordered to
be preached against him throughout Christendom 5 the priests
were commanded to dissuade everyone from enlisting for the
expedition 5 and the Church which had so often besought men
to take part in the holy war, threw its weight against this