ABSTRACT
On 27 March, Innocent amplified the power of his legates and named Arnau Amalric as spiritual leader of the crusade. The pope's decision to place a man of Arnau's temperament in control had serious implications for the development of the crusade. The campaign of 1212 had a sense of urgency to it; a battle would definitely be fought and its outcome would be decisive. It was widely reported by many contemporary and near-contemporary sources that al-Nasir threatened to wage war not only on Christian Spain but on all Christendom and that he intended to attack Rome itself. The letter of 11 November to Peter, Licet ad promovendum, revealed the pope's attitude. Innocent pronounced that the promotion of any work of piety immediately fell upon the king, but in those matters that concerned the cause of faith he desired to find the king most willing.
