Although Conqueror William had conquered England under the Pope's banner—a banner he borrowed by promising to place the English Church under papal authority—the Normans were the most pragmatic people in all of Europe.
After ascending the throne, while William did not forget the Pope's great assistance—amassing vast amounts of gold and silver to send to him—he failed to honor a single word of his promise. As a result, the English Church was in an even more precarious position than it had been under King Canute.
So when Philip told Eric that the Church still had a way to send people overseas for their studies, he was somewhat surprised. It seemed the English Church still had a few tricks up its sleeve.
「Dawn. A small cove near King's Bridge Monastery」
Eric stared blankly at the wooden boat—no more than thirteen feet from bow to stern—his jaw nearly hitting the ground.