Gregory IX and Denmark

Although the Danish king, Valdemar II, suffered a major defeat at the battle of Bornhöved in 1227, which weakened his authority and the economic well-being of the local church, the traditional good relations between the papacy and Denmark were generally maintained throughout Gregory’s pontificate because of the pope’s desire to establish control over the Baltic crusade and the need for northern support in his struggle with Frederick II. The traditional problems of the Danish Church regarding clerical incontinence and violence against clerics still posed problems for the papacy, alongside more unusual questions concerning liturgical practice and cheating on exams.