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. To begin with, he was probably misled as to the facts, and trusted too much to the king's account of what had happened. He was naturally inclined to protect the interests of a professed crusader and a vassal,

We ARE talking about the same pope that put the entire country of England under interdict because they had the audacity not to want Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury, excommunicating King John and deposed him and absolved his subjects of their allegiance to him?

The one who told Philip of France to invade and oust John from his throne.

That pope?

Oh yeah.. I am sure he thought John was the paragon of all virtues.

he took up the position that the barons could not be judges in their own cause but should have referred the matter to him for arbitration.

They did. Innocent III told them to go away and stop bothering him.