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Catharism was a name given to a radical Christian religious sect with dualistic and gnostic elements that appeared in the Languedoc region of France in the 11th century and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Dualism denotes a state of two parts The word's origin is the Latin duo, "two". Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Catharism had its roots in the Paulician movement in Armenia and the Bogomiles with whom the Paulicians eventually merged. Paulicians (Պավլիկյաններ were a Gnostic and Manichaean Christian group which flourished between 650 and 872 in Anatolia, Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Bogomilism (Богомилство is the Gnostic dualistic Sect, the Synthesis of Armenian Paulicianism and the Bulgarian Slavonic They also became influenced by dualist and, perhaps, Manichaean beliefs. Manichaeism (in Modern Persian fa-Arab آیین مانی Āyin e Māni; Chinese zh 摩尼教 was one of the major Gnostic Religions originating

Like many medieval movements, there were various schools of thought and practice amongst the Cathari; some were dualistic, others Gnostic, some closer to orthodoxy while abstaining from an acceptance of Catholic doctrines. The dualist theology was the most prominent, however, and was based upon the complete incompatibility of love and power. As matter was seen as a manifestation of power, it was also incompatible with love. They did not believe in one all-encompassing god, but in two, both equal and comparable in status. They held that the physical world was evil and created by Rex Mundi (translated from Latin as "king of the world"), who encompassed all that was corporeal, chaotic and powerful; the second god, the one whom they worshipped, was entirely disincarnate: a being or principle of pure spirit and completely unsullied by the taint of matter. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. He was the god of love, order and peace.

According to some Cathars, the purpose of man's life on Earth was to transcend matter, renouncing perpetually anything connected with the principle of power and thereby attain union with the principle of love. According to others, man's purpose was to reclaim or redeem matter, spiritualizing and transforming it.

This placed them at odds with the Catholic Church in regarding material creation, on behalf of which Jesus had supposedly died, as intrinsically evil and implying that God, whose word had created the world in the beginning, was a usurper. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Furthermore, as the Cathars saw matter as intrinsically evil, they denied that Jesus could become incarnate and still be the son of God. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Cathars vehemently repudiated the significance of the Crucifixion and the Cross. Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from In fact, to the Cathars, Rome's opulent and luxurious church seemed to them a palpable embodiment and manifestation on Earth of Rex Mundi's sovereignty.

The Catholic Church regarded the sect as dangerously heretical; faced with the rapid spread of the movement across the Languedoc region and the failure of peaceful attempts at conversion, which had been undertaken by Dominicans, the Church launched the Albigensian Crusade to crush the movement. Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade (1209&ndash1229 was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate the Cathar

Name

Cathars being expelled from Carcassonne in 1209

There is consensus that Cathars was a name given to them and not one that they chose. Carcassonne (Carcassona is a fortified French town in the Aude département, of which it is the Prefecture, Indeed, the Cathars had no official name for their movement, preferring to refer to themselves only as Bons Hommes et Bonnes Femmes (Good Men and Good Women). The most popular theory is that the word Cathar most likely originated from Greek καθαροί (Katharoi), meaning "pure ones", a term related to the word Katharsis or Catharsis, meaning "purification". Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The first recorded use of the word is by religious authority Eckbert von Schönau, who wrote regarding the heretics in Cologne in 1181: Hos nostra Germania catharos appellat ("Our Germany calls them Cathars").

The Cathars were also sometimes referred to as the Albigensians (Albigeois). This name originates from the end of the 12th century, and was used by the chronicler Geoffroy du Breuil of Vigeois in 1181. Geoffroy du Breuil of Vigeois was a 12th century French Chronicler He was trained at the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Martial of Limoges The name refers to the town of Albi (the ancient Albiga), northeast of Toulouse. For the city in Calabria Italy see Albi Italy. Albi is a commune in southern France. Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest The designation is misleading as the movement had no centre and is known to have flourished in several European countries (from northern Spain and Catalonia to Belgium, and from Italy to the Rhineland). Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. Use of the name came from the fact that a debate was held in Albi between priests and the Cathars; no conclusion was reached, but from then on it was assumed in France that Cathars were supporters of the "Albigensian doctrine. " However, few inhabitants of Albi were actually Cathars, and the city gladly accepted Catholicism during the crusade.

Origins

The Cathars' beliefs are thought to have come originally from Eastern Europe and the Byzantine Empire by way of trade routes. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo The name of Bulgarians (Bougres) was also applied to the Albigenses, and they maintained an association with the similar Christian movement of the Bogomils ("Friends of God") of Thrace. The Bulgarians (българи balgari) are a South Slavic people generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language Bogomilism (Богомилство is the Gnostic dualistic Sect, the Synthesis of Armenian Paulicianism and the Bulgarian Slavonic Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe Their doctrines have numerous resemblances to those of the Bogomils and the earlier Paulicians as well as the Manicheans and the Christian Gnostics of the first few centuries AD, although, as many scholars, most notably Mark Pegg, have pointed out, it would be erroneous to extrapolate direct, historical connections based on theoretical similarities perceived by modern intellectuals. Paulicians (Պավլիկյաններ were a Gnostic and Manichaean Christian group which flourished between 650 and 872 in Anatolia, Manichaeism (in Modern Persian fa-Arab آیین مانی Āyin e Māni; Chinese zh 摩尼教 was one of the major Gnostic Religions originating A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems Mark Gregory Pegg (born 1963) is an Australian professor of Medieval history, currently teaching at Washington University in St Much of our existing knowledge of the Cathars is derived from their opponents, the writings of the Cathars mostly having been destroyed because of the doctrinal threat they supposedly posed to Christianity. For this reason it is likely, as with most heretical movements of the period, that we have only a partial view of their beliefs. Conclusions about Cathar ideology continue to be fiercely debated with commentators regularly accusing their opponents of speculation, distortion and bias. There are a few texts from the Cathars themselves which were preserved by their opponents (the Rituel Cathare de Lyon, the Nouveau Testament en Provençal) which give a glimpse of the inner workings of their faith, but these still leave many questions unanswered. One large text which has survived, The Book of Two Principles, elaborates the principles of dualistic theology from the point of view of some of the Albanenses Cathars.

It is now generally agreed by most scholars that identifiable Catharism did not emerge until at least 1143, when the first confirmed report of a group espousing similar beliefs is reported being active at Cologne by the cleric Eberwin of Steinfeld. ^[1] A landmark in the "institutional history" of the Cathars was the Council, held in 1167 at Saint-Félix-Lauragais, attended by many local figures and also by the Bogomil papa Nicetas, the Cathar bishop of (northern) France and a leader of the Cathars of Lombardy. The Council of Saint-Félix, a landmark in the organisation of the Cathars, was held at Saint-Felix-de-Caraman now called Saint-Félix-Lauragais, in 1167 Saint-Félix-Lauragais is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Lombardy (Lombardia Latin: Langobardia, Western Lombard: Lumbardìa, Eastern Lombard: Lombardia) is one of the

Although there are certainly similarities in theology and practice between Gnostic/dualist groups of Late Antiquity (such as the Marcionites, Manichaeans and Ebionites) and the Cathars, there was not a direct link between the two; Manichaeanism died out in the West by the seventh century. The Cathars were largely a homegrown, Western European/Latin Christian phenomenon, springing up in the Rhineland cities (particularly Cologne) in the mid-twelfth century, northern France around the same time, and particularly southern France — the Languedoc — and the northern Italian cities in the mid-late 12th century. In the Languedoc and northern Italy, the Cathars would enjoy their greatest popularity, surviving in the Languedoc, in much reduced form, up to around 1325 and in the Italian cities until the Inquisitions of the 1260s–1300s finally rooted them out. The Medieval Inquisition is a series of Inquisitions ( Roman Catholic Church bodies charged with suppressing Heresy) from around 1184, including the ^[2]

General Beliefs

Cathars, in general, formed an anti-sacerdotal party in opposition to the Catholic Church, protesting what they perceived to be the moral, spiritual and political corruption of the Church. A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities They claimed an Apostolic succession from the founders of Christianity, and saw Rome as having betrayed and corrupted the original purity of the message, particularly since Pope Sylvester II accepted the Donation of Constantine (which at the time was believed to be genuine). Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Pope Sylvester II, or Silvester II (c 946&ndash May 12, 1003) born Gerbert d'Aurillac, was a prolific scholar teacher and Pope The Donation of Constantine ( Latin, Donatio Constantini) is a forged Roman imperial edict devised probably between 750 and 775, the

Human condition

The Cathars believed there existed within mankind a spark of divine light. This light, or spirit, had fallen into captivity within a realm of corruption identified with the physical body and world. This was a distinct feature of classical Gnosticism, of Manichaeism and of the theology of the Bogomils. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems Manichaeism (in Modern Persian fa-Arab آیین مانی Āyin e Māni; Chinese zh 摩尼教 was one of the major Gnostic Religions originating This concept of the human condition within Catharism was most probably due to direct and indirect historical influences from these older (and sometimes violently suppressed) Gnostic movements. According to the Cathars, the world had been created by a lesser deity, much like the figure known in classical Gnostic myth as the Demiurge. Demiurge (the Latinized form of Greek demiourgos, δημιουργός, literally "public or skilled worker" from demos This creative force was identified with Satan; most forms of classical Gnosticism had not made this explicit link between the Demiurge and Satan. Satan, ( Standard Hebrew Satan'el, English accuser) is a term that originates from the Abrahamic faiths, being traditionally Spirit, the vital essence of humanity, was thus trapped in a polluted world created by an usurper God and ruled by his corrupt minions.

Eschatology

The goal of Cathar eschatology was liberation from the realm of limitation and corruption identified with material existence. Eschatology (from the Greek, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of" is a part of Theology The path to liberation first required an awakening to the intrinsic corruption of the medieval "consensus reality," including its ecclesiastical, dogmatic, and social structures. Dogma (the plural is either dogmata or dogmas, Greek, plural) is the established Belief or Once cognizant of the grim existential reality of human existence (the "prison" of matter), the path to spiritual liberation became obvious: matter's enslaving bonds must be broken. Matter is commonly defined as being anything that has mass and that takes up space. This was a step-by-step process, accomplished in different measures by each individual. The Cathars accepted the idea of reincarnation. Those who were unable to achieve liberation during their current mortal journey would return another time to continue the struggle for perfection. Thus, it should be understood that reincarnation was neither a necessary nor a desirable event, but a result of the fact that not all humans could break the enthralling chains of matter within a single lifetime.

Consolamentum

Cathar society was divided into two general categories, the Perfecti (Perfects, Parfaits) and the Credentes (Believers). Perfect (also known as a Parfait in French or Perfecti in Latin) was the name given to a member of the spiritual elite of the medieval French Christian The Perfecti formed the core of the movement, though the actual number of Perfecti in Cathar society was always relatively small, numbering perhaps a few thousand at any one time. Regardless of their number, they represented the perpetuating heart of the Cathar tradition, the "true Christian Church", as they styled themselves. (When discussing the tenets of Cathar faith it must be understood that the demands of extreme asceticism fell only upon the Perfecti. Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. )

An individual entered into the community of Perfecti through a ritual known as the consolamentum, a rite that was both sacramental and sacerdotal in nature: sacramental in that it granted redemption and liberation from this world; sacerdotal in that those who had received this rite functioned in some ways as the Cathar clergy — though the idea of priesthood was explicitly rejected. A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions The consolamentum was the baptism of the Holy Spirit, baptismal regeneration, absolution, and ordination all in one. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the traditional Churches in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In general religious use ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is set apart as Clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies Upon reception of the consolamentum, the new Perfectus surrendered his or her worldly goods to the community, vested himself in a simple black or blue robe with cord belt, and undertook a life dedicated to following the example of Christ and His Apostles — an often peripatetic life devoted to purity, prayer, preaching and charitable work, or so it was claimed. Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e Above all, the Perfecti were dedicated to enabling others to find the road that led from the dark land ruled by the dark lord, to the realm of light which they believed to be humankind's first source and ultimate end.

While the Perfecti vowed themselves to ascetic lives of simplicity, frugality and purity, Cathar credentes (believers) were not expected to adopt the same stringent lifestyle. Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. Simplicity is the property condition or quality of being simple or un-combined Credentes or Believers, were the ordinary followers of what became known as the Cathar or Albigensian movement a heretical Christian sect which flourished They were however expected to refrain from eating meat and dairy products, from killing and from swearing oaths. In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal Milk &mdashmostly from goats or cows, but also from buffalo, Sheep An oath (from Anglo-Saxon āð, also called plight) is either a Promise or a Statement of Fact calling Catharism was above all a populist religion and the numbers of those who considered themselves "believers" in the late twelfth century included a sizable portion of the population of Languedoc, counting among them many noble families and courts. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos These individuals often drank, ate meat, and led relatively normal lives within medieval society — in contrast to the Perfecti, whom they honored as exemplars. Though unable to embrace the life of chastity, the credentes looked toward an eventual time when this would be their calling and path.

Many credentes would also eventually receive the consolamentum as death drew near — performing the ritual of liberation at a moment when the heavy obligations of purity required of Perfecti would be temporally short. Some of those who received the sacrament of the consolamentum upon their death-beds may thereafter have shunned further food or drink in order to speed death. This has been termed the endura. It was claimed by Catharism's opponents that by such self-imposed starvation, the Cathars were committing suicide in order to escape this world. The consolamentum was a one time sacrament. Having received it, a dying person who showed signs of rallying would sometimes be smothered with his pillow in order to ensure his salvation. Other than at such moments of extremis, however, little evidence exists to support such Cathar practices more generally.

Theology

The Catharist concept of Jesus might be called docetistic — theologically speaking it resembled Modalistic Monarchism in the West and Adoptionism in the East. In Christianity, Docetism (from the Greek, "to seem" is the belief that Jesus ' physical body was an illusion as was his Crucifixion Adoptionism, also called dynamic Monarchianism, was a minority Christian belief that Jesus was born merely human and that he became divine later in his life Simply put, Cathars believed that Jesus had been a manifestation of spirit unbounded by the limitations of matter — a sort of divine phantom and not a real human being. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) They embraced the Gospel of John as their most sacred text, and completely rejected the Old Testament — indeed, most of them proclaimed that the God of the Old Testament was, really, the devil. The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. The Devil is the They proclaimed that there was a higher God — the True God — and Jesus was his messenger. These are views similar to those of Marcion. Marcion (Μαρκίων (ca 110 - 160) was a Christian Theologian who was excommunicated by the Early Christian church

The God found in the Old Testament had nothing to do with the God of Love known to Cathars. The Old Testament God had created the world as a prison, and demanded from the "prisoners" fearful obedience and worship. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of This false god was in reality — claimed the Cathari — a blind usurper who under the most false pretexts, tormented and murdered those whom he called, all too possessively, "his children". The false god was, by the Cathari, called Rex Mundi, or The King of the World. This exegesis upon the Old Testament was not unique to the Cathars: it echoes views found in earlier Gnostic movements and foreshadows later critical voices. Exegesis (from the Greek 'to lead out' involves an extensive and critical interpretation of an authoritative text, especially of a Holy Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems The dogma of the Trinity and the sacrament of the Eucharist, among others, were rejected as abominations. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those Belief in metempsychosis, or the transmigration of souls, resulted in the rejection of Hell and Purgatory, which were and are dogmas of the Catholic Faith. Reincarnation Metempsychosis is a philosophical term in the Greek language referring to the belief of Transmigration of the soul, especially its Reincarnation Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering See also Intermediate state Limbo|Heaven|Sheol|Hades in Christianity|Hell in Christianity Purgatory, in the original sense is the condition or process of purification For the Cathars, this world was the only hell — there was nothing to fear after death, save perhaps rebirth. Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering

While this is the understanding of Cathar theology related by the Catholic Church, crucial to the study of the Cathars is their fundamental disagreement with both the Christian interpretation of the Doctrine of "resurrection" (cryptically referred to in Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12:2) as a doctrine of the physical raising of a dead body from the grave. In the book "Massacre at Montsegur" (a book widely regarded by medievalists as having a pronounced, pro-Cathar bias) the Cathars are referred to as "Western Buddhists" because of their belief that the Doctrine of "resurrection" taught by Jesus was, in fact, similar to the Buddhist Doctrine of Rebirth (referred to as "reincarnation"). ^[3] And it was this challenge to the Christian interpretation of the Doctrine of "resurrection", echoing the original conflict between Christian theology and the Gnostics over the meaning of the Doctrine of "resurrection", that eventually led to the extermination of the sect.

Social relationships

From the theological underpinnings of the Cathar faith there came practical injunctions that were considered destabilizing to the morals of medieval society. For instance, Cathars rejected the giving of oaths as wrongful; an oath served to place one under the domination of the Demiurge and the world. To reject oaths in this manner was seen as anarchic in a society where illiteracy was wide-spread and almost all business transactions and pledges of allegiance were based on the giving of oaths.

Sexual intercourse and reproduction propagated the slavery of spirit to flesh, hence procreation was considered undesirable. Informal relationships were considered preferable to marriage among Cathar credentes. Perfecti were supposed to observe complete celibacy, and separation from a partner would be necessary for those who would become Perfecti. For the credentes however, sexual activity was not prohibited, but the creation of children was strongly discouraged, resulting in the charge by their opponents of sexual perversion. The common, English insult "bugger" is derived from "Bulgar", the notion that Cathars followed the "Bulgarian heresy" whose teaching entailed perverse sexual activities which skirted procreation. Bugger is a Vulgar word used in vernacular British English, Irish English, Australian English, New Zealand English, Bogomilism (Богомилство is the Gnostic dualistic Sect, the Synthesis of Armenian Paulicianism and the Bulgarian Slavonic

Killing was abhorrent to the Cathars; so too the copulation that produced enslavement in matter. Consequently, abstention from all animal food except fish was enjoined of the Perfecti. Pescetarianism is a dietary choice in which a person known as a pescetarian, eats any combination of Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts, (The Perfecti apparently avoided eating anything considered to be a by-product of sexual reproduction, including cheese, eggs, milk and butter. ) War and capital punishment were also condemned, an abnormality in the medieval age. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. As a consequence of their rejection of oaths, Cathars also rejected marriage vows. Such was the situation, that when called before the Inquisition, one accused of Catharism needed only to show that he was married for the case to be immediately dismissed.

Such teachings, both in theological intent and practical consequence, brought upon the Cathars condemnation from religious and secular authorities as being the enemies of Christian Faith and of social order.

This portrays the story of a disputation between Saint Dominic and the Cathars (Albigensians), in which the books of both were thrown on a fire and St. Saint Dominic (Domingo also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo de Guzmán Garcés (1170 &ndash August 6 Dominic's books were miraculously preserved from the flames. Painting by Pedro Berruguete

Suppression

In 1147, Pope Eugene III sent a legate to the Cathar district in order to arrest the progress of the Cathars. Pedro Berruguete (c 1450 &ndash 1504 was a Spanish painter his art is regarded as a transitional style between gothic and Renaissance. Pope A Papal Legate – from the Latin authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the Pope to Foreign nations or to some part of the Catholic The few isolated successes of Bernard of Clairvaux could not obscure the poor results of this mission, which clearly showed the power of the sect in the Languedoc at that period. Bernard of Clairvaux, OCist ( 1090 - August 20, 1153) was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian monastic order The missions of Cardinal Peter of St. Chrysogonus to Toulouse and the Toulousain in 1178, and of Henry, cardinal-bishop of Albano, in 1180–81, obtained merely momentary successes. Henry of Albano's armed expedition, which took the stronghold at Lavaur, did not extinguish the movement. Blessed Henry of Marcy (c 1136 &ndash 1 January 1189) was a Cistercian abbot first of Hautecombe (1160 and then of Clairvaux from

Decisions of Catholic Church councils — in particular, those of the Council of Tours (1163) and of the Third Council of the Lateran (1179) — had scarcely more effect upon the Cathars. Tours is a city in France the Préfecture (capital city of the Indre-et-Loire département, on the lower reaches of the river The Third Council of the Lateran met in March 1179 as the 11th Ecumenical council. When Pope Innocent III came to power in 1198, he was resolved to deal with them. Pope Innocent III ( February 22, 1161 &ndash June 16, 1216) born Lotario de' Conti di Segni, was Pope from January

At first Innocent tried pacific conversion, and sent a number of legates into the Cathar regions. They had to contend not only with the Cathars, the nobles who protected them, and the people who venerated them, but also with many of the bishops of the region, who resented the considerable authority the Pope had conferred upon his legates. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and In 1204, Innocent III suspended a number of bishops in the south of France; in 1205 he appointed a new and vigorous bishop of Toulouse, the former troubadour Foulques. Folquet de Marselha, alternatively Folquet de Marseille, Foulques de Toulouse, Fulk of Toulouse (c In 1206 Diego of Osma and his canon, the future Saint Dominic, began a programme of conversion in Languedoc; as part of this, Catholic-Cathar public debates were held at Verfeil, Servian, Pamiers, Montréal and elsewhere. Diego de Acebo was Bishop of Osma (Castile Spain from 1201 to 1207 Saint Dominic (Domingo also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo de Guzmán Garcés (1170 &ndash August 6 Verfeil is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France. Servian is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Pamiers is a commune in the Ariège département in southwestern France. Montréal is a commune just south of Carcassonne in the department of Aude, a part of the ancient Languedoc province and the present-day

Saint Dominic met and debated the Cathars in 1203 during his mission to the Languedoc. Saint Dominic (Domingo also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo de Guzmán Garcés (1170 &ndash August 6 He concluded that only preachers who displayed real sanctity, humility and asceticism could win over convinced Cathar believers. His conviction led eventually to the establishment of the Dominican Order in 1216. The Order of Preachers ( Latin: Ordo Praedicatorum) after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is The order was to live up to the terms of his famous rebuke, "Zeal must be met by zeal, humility by humility, false sanctity by real sanctity, preaching falsehood by preaching truth. " However, even St. Dominic managed only a few converts, and in the end told them, "In my country we have a saying, 'Where words fail, blows will avail…'"

Albigensian crusade

In January 1208 the papal legate, Pierre de Castelnau was sent to meet the ruler of the area, Count Raymond VI of Toulouse. Raymond VI of Toulouse ( October 27, 1156 &ndash August 2, 1222) was count of Toulouse and marquis of Provence from 1194 Known for excommunicating noblemen who protected the Cathars, Castelnau excommunicated Raymond as an abettor of heresy. Excommunication is a religious Censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community Abettor (from to abet Old French abeter, á and beter, to bait urge dogs upon any one this word is probably of Scandinavian origin He was immediately murdered near Saint Gilles Abbey on his way back to Rome by a knight in the service of Count Raymond. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 As soon as he heard of the murder, the Pope ordered the legates to preach a crusade against the Cathars. The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade (1209&ndash1229 was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate the Cathar Having failed in his effort to peacefully demonstrate the errors of Catharism, the Pope then called a formal crusade, appointing a series of leaders to head the assault. There followed 20 years of war against the Cathars and their allies in the Languedoc: the Albigensian Crusade. The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade (1209&ndash1229 was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate the Cathar

This war pitted the nobles of the north of France against those of the south. The widespread northern enthusiasm for the Crusade was partially inspired by a papal decree permitting the confiscation of lands owned by Cathars and their supporters. As the Languedoc was teeming with Cathars and Cathar sympathisers, this made the region a target for French noblemen looking to acquire new fiefs. The barons of the north headed south to do battle.

Massacre

The crusader army came under the command, both spiritual and military, of the papal legate Arnaud-Amaury, Abbot of Cîteaux. Arnaud Amalric, or Arnau Amalric, (died 1225 was a Cistercian Monk. The word abbot, meaning Father, is a title given to the head of a Monastery in various traditions including Christianity. Cîteaux Abbey (French Abbaye de Cîteaux) is a Roman Catholic Abbey located in Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, south of Dijon, In the first significant engagement of the war, the town of Béziers was besieged on 22 July 1209. Béziers ( Besièrs in Occitan, and Besiers in Catalan) is a town in Languedoc, in the southwest of France. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of The Catholic inhabitants of the city were granted the freedom to leave unharmed, but many refused and opted to stay and fight alongside the Cathars.

The Béziers army attempted a sortie but was quickly defeated, then pursued by the crusaders back through the gates and into the city. Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit be it of Aircraft, Ship or in older times of columns of troops from a fort Arnaud, the Cistercian abbot-commander, is supposed to have been asked how to tell Cathars from Catholics. His alleged reply, recalled by a fellow Cistercian, was "Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius. " — “Kill them all, the Lord will recognise His own. ”^[4] The doors of the church of St Mary Magdalene were broken down and the refugees dragged out and slaughtered. Reportedly, 7,000 people died there including many women and children. Elsewhere in the town many more thousands were mutilated and killed. Prisoners were blinded, dragged behind horses, and used for target practice. What remained of the city was razed by fire. Arnaud wrote to Pope Innocent III, "Today your Holiness, twenty thousand heretics were put to the sword, regardless of rank, age, or sex. Pope Innocent III ( February 22, 1161 &ndash June 16, 1216) born Lotario de' Conti di Segni, was Pope from January "^[5] The permanent population of Béziers at that time was then probably no more than 5,000, but local refugees seeking shelter within the city walls could conceivably have increased the number to 20,000.

After the success of his siege of Carcassonne, which followed the massacre at Béziers, Simon de Montfort was designated as leader of the Crusader army. Carcassonne (Carcassona is a fortified French town in the Aude département, of which it is the Prefecture, Simon IV de Montfort Seigneur de Montfort-l'Amaury 5th Earl of Leicester (1160 &ndash June 25, 1218) also known as Simon de Montfort the elder, was Prominent opponents of the Crusaders were Raymond-Roger de Trencavel, viscount of Carcassonne, and his feudal overlord Peter II, the king of Aragon, who held fiefdoms and had a number of vassals in the region. Raymond Roger Trencavel (also Raimond, Raimon Rogièr 1185 &ndash November 10, 1209 AD) was a member of the noble Trencavel family Peter II of Aragon ( 1174 &ndash September 12 1213) surnamed the Catholic, was the king of Aragon (as Pedro II and count of Aragon ( Spanish: "Aragón") is an autonomous community of Spain. Peter died fighting against the crusade on September 12, 1213 at the Battle of Muret. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the At the Battle of Muret on September 12, 1213 the Crusading army of Simon IV de Montfort defeated the Aragonese and Catalan forces

Treaty and persecution

The war ended in the Treaty of Paris (1229), by which the king of France dispossessed the house of Toulouse of the greater part of its fiefs, and that of the Trencavels (Viscounts of Béziers and Carcassonne) of the whole of their fiefs. The Treaty of Paris was signed on April 12, 1229 between Raymond VII of Toulouse and Louis IX of France. A viscount ( VAI-count is a member of the European Nobility whose comital title ranks usually as in the British peerage, above a The independence of the princes of the Languedoc was at an end. But in spite of the wholesale massacre of Cathars during the war, Catharism was not yet extinguished.

In 1215, the bishops of the Catholic Church met at the Fourth Council of the Lateran under Pope Innocent III. The Fourth Council of the Lateran was summoned by Pope Innocent III with his Papal bull of April 19, 1213. Pope Innocent III ( February 22, 1161 &ndash June 16, 1216) born Lotario de' Conti di Segni, was Pope from January One of the key goals of the council was to combat the heresy of the Cathars without explaining exactly what that heresy originated with: the Cathar's interpretation of the doctrine of the resurrection as meaning, "reincarnation".

The Inquisition was established in 1229 to uproot the remaining Cathars. The Medieval Inquisition is a series of Inquisitions ( Roman Catholic Church bodies charged with suppressing Heresy) from around 1184, including the Operating in the south at Toulouse, Albi, Carcassonne and other towns during the whole of the 13th century, and a great part of the 14th, it finally succeeded in extirpating the movement. Carcassonne (Carcassona is a fortified French town in the Aude département, of which it is the Prefecture, Cathars who refused to recant were hanged, or burned at the stake. ^[6]

From May 1243 to March 1244, the Cathar fortress of Montségur was besieged by the troops of the seneschal of Carcassonne and the archbishop of Narbonne. Montségur is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. The former Catholic diocese of Narbonne existed from early Christian times until the French Revolution. On March 16, 1244, a large and symbolically important massacre took place, where over 200 Cathar perfects were burned in an enormous fire at the prat des cramats near the foot of the castle. Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Moreover, the Church decreed lesser chastisements against laymen suspected of sympathy with Cathars, at the 1235 Council of Narbonne. Narbonne ( Narbona in Catalan and in Occitan, the Roman Narbo) is a commune in southwestern France in the ^[7]

Inquisitors required heretical sympathisers - repentant first offenders - to sew a yellow cross onto their clothes. ^[8]

A popular though as yet unsubstantiated theory holds that a small party of Cathar perfects escaped from the fortress before the massacre at prat des cramats. It is widely held in the Cathar region to this day that the escapees took with them le tresor cathar. What this treasure consisted of has been a matter of considerable speculation: claims range from sacred Gnostic texts to the Cathars' accumulated wealth.

Hunted by the Inquisition and deserted by the nobles of their districts, the Cathars became more and more scattered fugitives: meeting surreptitiously in forests and mountain wilds. Later insurrections broke out under the leadership of Bernard of Foix, Aimery of Narbonne and Bernard Délicieux (a Franciscan friar later prosecuted for his adherence to another heretical movement, that of the Spiritual Franciscans) at the beginning of the 14th century. But by this time the Inquisition had grown very powerful. Consequently, many were summoned to appear before it. Precise indications of this are found in the registers of the Inquisitors, Bernard of Caux, Jean de St Pierre, Geoffroy d'Ablis, and others. The parfaits only rarely recanted, and hundreds were burned. Repentant lay believers were punished, but their lives were spared as long as they did not relapse. Having recanted, they were obliged to sew yellow crosses onto their outdoor clothing and to live apart from other Catholics, at least for a while.

Annihilation

After several decades of harassment and re-proselytizing, and perhaps even more importantly, the systematic destruction of their scripture, the sect was exhausted and could find no more adepts. The leaders of a Cathar revival in the Pyrenean foothills, Pierre and Jacques Autier, were executed in 1310. Catharism disappeared from the northern Italian cities after the 1260s, under pressure from the Inquisition. After 1330, the records of the Inquisition contain very few proceedings against Cathars. The last known Cathar perfect in the Languedoc, Guillaume Bélibaste, was executed in 1321. Guillaume Bélibaste ( Occitan: Guilhèm Belibasta) is said to have been the last Cathar parfait in Languedoc.

Other movements, such as the Waldensians and the pantheistic Brethren of the Free Spirit, which suffered persecution in the same area survived in remote areas and in small numbers into the 14th and 15th centuries. General description The earliest Waldensians believed in poverty and austerity promoting true poverty public preaching and the personal study of the scriptures The Brothers or Brethren of the Free Spirit (Brüder und Schwestern des Freien Geistes was a lay Christian movement which flourished in northern Europe in Some Waldensian ideas were absorbed into early Protestant sects, such as the Hussites, Lollards, and the Moravian Church (Herrnhuters of Germany). Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus or John Huss (c Lollardy was the political and religious movement of the Lollards from the mid- 14th century to the English Reformation. This page is about the Moravian Church globally For information about the church in a particular geographic area use the links at Organisation below Herrnhut ( Sorbian: Ochranow; Czech: Ochranov) is a municipality in the district of Görlitz in the Free State of Saxony, It is possible that Cathar ideas were too.

Later history

After the suppression of Catharism, the descendants of Cathars were, in some southern French towns, required to live outside the towns, and their defenses. They thus retained a certain Cathar identity, although they'd returned to the Catholic religion. This practice of separation, though increasingly uncommon, finally ended during the French Revolution. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an

Any use of the term "Cathar" to refer to people after the suppression of Catharism in the 14th century is a cultural or ancestral reference, and has no religious implication. Nevertheless, interest in the Cathars, their history, legacy and beliefs continues. The publication of the book Crusade against the Grail by a young German Otto Rahn in the 1930s rekindled interest in the connection between the Cathars and the Holy Grail. Otto Wilhelm Rahn ( February 18, 1904 &mdash March 13, 1939) was a German Medievalist and a Obersturmführer The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers Rahn was convinced that the 13th century work Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach was a veiled account of the Cathars. His research attracted the attention of the Nazi government and in particular of Heinrich Himmler, who made him archaeologist in the SS. Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the Also, the Cathars have been depicted in popular books such as The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail as a group of elite nobility somehow connected to "secrets" about the true nature of the Christian faith, although there is no critical proof of such secrets being kept. The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (retitled Holy Blood Holy Grail in the United States) is a controversial book by Michael Baigent

Pays Cathare

The castle of Montségur was razed after 1244; the current fortress follows French military architecture of the 17th century

The term Pays Cathare (French meaning "Land of the Cathars" or "Cathar country") is used to highlight the Cathar heritage and history of the region where Catharism was traditionally strongest. Montségur is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people This area is centred around towns such as Montségur and Carcassonne; also the French département of the Aude uses the title Pays Cathare in tourist brochures. Montségur is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. Carcassonne (Carcassona is a fortified French town in the Aude département, of which it is the Prefecture, In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Aude ( Occitan: Aude) is a department in south-central France named after the Aude River. ^[9] These areas have ruins from the wars against the Cathars which are still visible today.

Some criticise the promotion of the identity of Pays Cathare as an exaggeration for tourist purposes. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Actually most of the promoted Cathar castles are later royal citadels built upon razed pre-Cathar fortresses. Cathar castles (in French Châteaux cathares) is a modern term used by the tourism industry (following the example of Pays Cathare - Cathar Country to arbitrarily

Modern-day Cathars

Some of the locals in the Pays Cathare region identify themselves as Cathars even today. They claim to be descended from the Cathars of the Middle Ages. It can be safely assumed that many local people have at least some ancestors who were Cathars. However, the delivering of the consolamentum, on which historical Catharism was based, required a linear succession by a bon homme in good standing. As mentioned above, it is believed that one of the last known bon homme, Guillaume Belibaste, was burned in 1326.

Cathars in popular culture

It has been suggested in some modern fiction and non-fiction books that the Cathars could have been the protectors of the Holy Grail of Christian mythology, especially in the books Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Labyrinth, and Vagabond. According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (retitled Holy Blood Holy Grail in the United States) is a controversial book by Michael Baigent Labyrinth is an archaeological mystery English-language novel written by Kate Mosse set both in the Middle Ages and present-day France

• Zoe Oldenbourg's 1946 novel Argile et Cendres (published in English as The World is Not Enough) is a meticulously-researched historical fiction set in a Cathar community. Zoé B Oldenbourg (1916 - 2002 was a Russian -born French historian and novelist who specialized in mediæval French history, in particular The year 1946 in literature involved some significant events and new books
• The novel All Things Are Lights by Robert Shea takes place during the extermination of the Cathars. All Things Are Lights is a Novel written by Robert Shea. It is the story of a Fictional 13th century French Troubadour named Roland Robert Joseph Shea ( February 14, 1933 - March 10, 1994) was a magazine editor columnist and novelist
• The 2005 novel The Colour of a Dog Running Away by Richard Gwyn contains a sequence that involves an encounter with Catharism. The year 2005 in literature involved some significant events and new books
• Babylonne, the protagonist of Catherine Jinks's novel, Pagan's Daughter is a Cathar, as are many other main characters. Catherine Jinks (born 1963 is an Australian author She has written over thirty books for all ages and has won many awards including the Children's Book Council Of Australia
• The novel Flicker by Theodore Roszak portrays Cathars at the heart of a mystery involving the use of secretive film techniques used to influence modern culture. Flicker is a novel by Theodore Roszak published in 1991. The novel covers approximately 15-20 years of the life of Film scholar Jonathan Gates Theodore Roszak can refer to Theodore Roszak (artist (1907&ndash1981 Polish-American sculptor and painter Theodore Roszak (scholar
• The avant-progressive rock band Thinking Plague's 2003 album, A History of Madness is a concept album dealing with the Cathars. Avant-progressive rock is a style of Music based on rock music that explores unconventional territory often incorporating non-standard Chord progressions Thinking Plague was a United States Avant-garde rock group founded in 1982 by guitarist/composer Mike Johnson, and bass guitarist/drummer In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical"
• The song "Montsegur" from the album Dance of Death by Iron Maiden is based on the story of the Cathars. Montségur is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. Dance of Death, also variously called Danse Macabre (French Danza Macabra (Italian or Totentanz For other uses see Iron maiden.
• The music project Era explored some Cathari themes on its first eponymous album. Era is a music project by Eric Levi that is often based on chants in an imaginary language close to Latin. [1]
• In the video game Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader, the main character meets and interacts with Cathars while travelling through France
• Catharism is mentioned by the main character in the 2007 movie Like Minds (Murderous Intent) directed by Gregory J. Read
• The Black metal band Darkthrone misspelled Cathar in one of their songs "Kathaarian Life Code" from their album A Blaze in the Northern Sky
• In 1989, the German thrash metal band Paradox released the album Heresy, a concept album entirely dealing with the Albigensian Crusade. Lionheart Legacy of the Crusader is a Action role-playing game, developed for the PC by Reflexive Entertainment, and released in August 13, 2007 saw major releases such as The Simpsons Movie, National Treasure Book of Secrets, Like Minds is a feature film written & directed by Gregory J Read; debuted in Australia on November 9th 2006, and is scheduled for worldwide in Gregory J Read is an Australian Filmmaker. Read has written directed produced and edited the critically acclaimed documentaries Spirits of the Carnival DarkThrone is a Massive Online Text Based Game developed by Lazarus Software A Blaze in the Northern Sky is the second album by the Norwegian Black metal band Darkthrone. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression Paradox was a Canadian band formed in the 1980's by singer/guitarist Sylvain Cossette.
• The board game Carcassonne, has a mini-expansion entitled Carcassonne: The Cathars which adds four tiles showing the Cathars breaking down city walls. A board game is a Game in which counters or pieces that are placed on removed from or moved across a "board" (a premarked surface usually specific to that game Carcassonne is a tile-based German-style Board game for two to five players designed by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede and published in 2000 See also List of cities with defensive walls A defensive wall is a Fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors The tiles reduce the value of the city, but increase the value of the surrounding fields.
• The Treasure of Montségur — A Novel of the Cathars by Sophy Burnham tells of a young woman raised by Cathars who lives through the siege of Montségur.
• The persecution of the Cathars is presented as a Red Scare in an episode of History Bites. Red Menace redirects here For the 2007 Wildstorm Productions comic book series see Red Menace (comics. History Bites was a Television series on the History Television network that ran from 1998 - 2003.
• French singer-songwriter and guitarist Francis Cabrel has a song called Les Chevaliers Cathares (The Cathar Knights) describing the persecution and end of the Cathars, on his 1983 album Quelqu'un de l'intérieur. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics A guitarist is a Musician who plays the Guitar. Guitarists may perform solo pieces or play with ensembles and bands of a wide variety of genres Francis Cabrel (born 23 November 1953 in Agen, France) is a French Singer-songwriter and Guitarist.

See also

• Antonin Gadal
• Brethren of the Free Spirit
• Cathar Perfect, Credentes
• Catholicism
• Christianity
• Crusades
• Gnosticism
• Holy Grail
• Inquisition
• Manicheanism
• Montsegur
• Lollards
• Waldensians

Notes

References

External links

• Cathar castles : interactive map
• Seals of Southeastern France
• Site of German Cathars (Katharer)
• Гора Монсегюр (Blessed Yohanne) and Мощевая Перпертуза (Russian)
• Apostolic Gnostic Church of American Cathars
• Heretics Without Borders, A Society for the Study of Heresy in the Middle Ages
• Kalamazoo International Congress on Medieval Studies
• Antonin Gadal: L'Œuvre d'un homme inspiré par l'Esprit
• The paths of Cathars by the philosopher Yves Maris.
• Cathar and counter-Cathar writings from Gnosis. org
• The Cathars. Philosophy of the catharism by the philosopher Yves Maris.
• society Cathar Center

/*http://www.cathares.org/ Informative site in English/French.

Cathar Museum, Mazamet, France http://www.maison-memoires.com/

Centre d'Etudes Cathares/Cathar Study Centre Carcassonne, France http://cecnelli.unblog.fr/