ABSTRACT
Called on for an impromptu assessment of the relationship of the Scandinavian countries to the papacy during Celestine III’s pontificate one might well be tempted to opt for Pfaff’s description of the ‘Vorgänger’.1 on the face of it, a number of rather high-profile political and ecclesiastical cases involving the Scandinavian kingdoms and their religious leaders appear to have come to an effective standstill during Celestine’s pontificate. This is a judgment which, predictably, contrasts the old pope with his energetic successor. But did the decision-making of the Roman Curia under Celestine differ notably from that of Innocent III? Was the aged Celestine’s pontificate marked by indolence and indecision? It may be that some cases from the frozen north might help provide us with answers to these important questions.
