The Pope... smarter than I thought?

Sorry for making two topics in quick succession but they are totally different issues.

I don't know if this is something new the patch did or whether it was always there. But basically, in my campaign as the Scottish, the Pope asked me to stop killing the Danes (who were constantly invading my land). I got the warning that I would be excommunicated if I attacked them on their land or neutral ground (the sea), however, I got no warnings for attacking them when they were on my land and was not penalised for it.

Now this is of course brilliant and makes perfect sense but has it always been this way?

You're allowed to attack factions you've been warned against fighting if they're on your territory. The pope seems to be reasonable enough to allow you to defend yourself. Any aggressive actions (including blockading ports) is a no-no.