LYON, NICAEA AND KARAKORUM IN THE FOREIGN POLICY OF ALEXANDER NEVSKY

Abstract

In the course of contacts with Pope Innocent IV and his representatives, Alexander Nevsky and his father Yaroslav Vsevolodovich expressed their readiness to accept Catholicism and recognize the papal power in church affairs. These contacts took place in the context of the broader ecumenical processes of the 1240s-1250s, led by the heads of the Roman and Byzantine Churches. Rus’ princes and hierarchs took an active part in these processes, remaining faithful to the Byzantine Church. The Mongol threat, which affected all Christians in Europe and the Middle East, directly contributed to the intensification of efforts to restore church unity.