Citizendia
Your Ad Here

Waldensian Evangelical Church
Founders: Peter Waldo
Founding date: circa 1177; in 1532 acceded to Franco-Swiss Protestant Reform
Headquarters: Flag of Italy Torre Pellice, Piemonte, Italy
Countries: International; but mainly Italy, France, Germany and South America. Peter Waldo, Valdo, or Waldes ( c. 1140 &ndash c. 1218 also Pierre Vaudès or de Vaux, was the founder of the Torre Pellice is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 45 km southwest of Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest
Website: http://www.chiesavaldese.org/indexen.html

The Waldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois began as a Christian spiritual movement of the later Middle Ages, descendants of which still exist in various regions. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Over time, the denomination joined the Genevan or Reformed branch of the Protestant Reformation. The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time About the earlier history of the Waldenses considerable uncertainty exists because of the lack of extant source material. [1] They were persecuted as heretical before the 16th Century, endured near annihilation in the 17th century,[2] and were then confronted with organized and generalized discrimination in centuries that followed. [3][4][5] There are active congregations in Europe, Latin America, and North America. The contemporary and historic Waldensian spiritual heritage includes proclaiming the Gospel, serving among the marginalized, promoting social justice, fostering inter-religious work, and advocating respect for religious diversity and freedom of conscience. [6]

Contents

General description

The earliest Waldensians believed in poverty and austerity, promoting true poverty, public preaching and the personal study of the scriptures. Preacher is a term the for someone who preaches Sermons or gives homilies [1] The sect originated in the late 12th century as the Poor Men of Lyons, a band organized by Peter Waldo, a wealthy merchant of Lyon, who gave away his property around 1177 and went about preaching apostolic poverty as the way to perfection. Peter Waldo, Valdo, or Waldes ( c. 1140 &ndash c. 1218 also Pierre Vaudès or de Vaux, was the founder of the ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and [1]

In 1179, they went to Rome, where Pope Alexander III blessed their life but forbade preaching without authorization from the local clergy. 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 Alexander III (c 1100/1105 &ndash August 30, 1181) born Rolando (or Orlando) Bandinelli, was Pope from 1159 [7] They disobeyed and began to preach according to their own understanding of scripture. Seen by the Roman Catholic Church as unorthodox, they were formally declared heretics by Pope Lucius III in 1184 and by the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief Pope Lucius III (1097– November 25, 1185) born Ubaldo Allucingoli, was Pope from September 1, 1181 to his death The Fourth Council of the Lateran was summoned by Pope Innocent III with his Papal bull of April 19, 1213. [7] In 1211 more than 80 were burned as heretics at Strasbourg, beginning several centuries of persecution that nearly destroyed the sect. Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région The Medieval Inquisition is a series of Inquisitions ( Roman Catholic Church bodies charged with suppressing Heresy) from around 1184, including the Part of their legacy is recognized as works of the writer Henri Arnaud. Henri Arnaud ( September 20 1641 &ndash September 8 1721) was a pastor of the Vaudois in Piedmont, who turned soldier The Waldensian Church of Italy has survived to the present day.

Some groups of Mennonites and Baptists who feel the need to trace apostolic succession through the Waldenses, claim that the Waldenses history extends back to the apostolic church. [1] Roman Catholic and Protestant scholars agree that this has no basis in fact. [1][7][8] The mainstream academic view is that the Waldensians were followers of Peter Waldo (or Valdes or Vaudes). Peter Waldo, Valdo, or Waldes ( c. 1140 &ndash c. 1218 also Pierre Vaudès or de Vaux, was the founder of the [1][7][9]

History

Ancient origins asserted and dismissed

Some researchers argue that the group has existed since the time of the apostles, a claim disproven by modern scholarship. [10] The supporters of the ancient origin claim the Waldenses' name does not in fact come from Peter Waldo, as modern scholars contend, but from the area in which they lived. [11] They claim Peter Waldo in fact got his name by association with the Waldenses. This thought was current in the early 19th century:

"Some Protestants, on this occasion, have fallen into the snare that was set for them. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar . . It is absolutely false, that these churches were ever found by Peter Waldo. . . it is a pure forgery. " [12]
"It is not true, that Waldo gave this name to the inhabitants of the valleys: they were called Waldenses, or Vaudes, before his time, from the valleys in which they dwelt. " [13]
"On the other hand, he "was called Valdus, or Waldo, because he received his religious notions from the inhabitants of the valleys. " [14]

The claim of an ancient origin was for a long time accepted as valid by Protestant historians. [7] The alexandrine Nobles Lessons, written in Provençal, was thought at one time to have been composed in 1100, but all scholars now date it between 1190 and 1240. An alexandrine is a line of poetic meter comprising 12 Syllables Alexandrines are common in the German literature of the Baroque period and [15] Other scholars claimed Claudius, Bishop of Turin (died 840), Berengarius of Tours (died 1088), or other such men who had preceded Peter Waldo, as the founder of the sect. Claudius of Turin (or Claude; fl 810 &ndash 827 was the Catholic bishop of Turin from 817 until his death Berengar of Tours (c 999&ndash January 6, 1088) was a French 11th century Christian theologian a scholar whose leadership of the cathedral [7] In the nineteenth century, however, it became evident to critics that the poem and other Waldensian documents offered as proof had been altered. [7] The respected Waldensian scholar Dr. Emilio Comba was a historian, a teacher, and a pastor who dismissed the theories in the middle 19th century. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar As a result the claims to high antiquity for the sect were largely accepted to be myth. [7]

Origins in the Middle Ages

According to the Waldense Church and the Waldense Scholarship, the Waldensians started with Peter Waldo, who began to preach on the streets of Lyon in 1177. ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. [1] He was a wealthy merchant and decided to give up all his worldly possessions; he was sick of his own affluence: that he had so much more than those around him. [16] He went through the streets giving his money away and decided to become a wandering preacher who would beg for a living. He began to attract a following. Waldo had a philosophy very similar to Francis of Assisi. For the opera by Olivier Messiaen see Saint-François d'Assise. [17]

Preaching required official permission, which he was unable to secure from the Bishop in Lyon, and so in 1179 he met Pope Alexander III at the Third Council of the Lateran and asked for permission to preach. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Pope Alexander III (c 1100/1105 &ndash August 30, 1181) born Rolando (or Orlando) Bandinelli, was Pope from 1159 The Third Council of the Lateran met in March 1179 as the 11th Ecumenical council. Walter Map, in De Nugis Curialium, narrates the discussions at one of these meetings. Walter Map (born 1140 died c 1208&ndash1210 was a medieval writer using Latin De nugis curialium is the major surviving work of the 12th century Latin author Walter Map. The pope, while praising Peter Waldo's ideal of poverty, ordered him not to preach unless he had the permission of the local clergy. He continued to preach without permission and by the early 1180s he and his followers were excommunicated and forced from Lyon. Excommunication is a religious Censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community The Catholic church declared them heretics - the group's principal error was "contempt for ecclesiastical power" - that they dared to teach and preach outside of the control of the clergy "without divine inspiration. Ecclesiology (from Greek grc ἐκκλησίᾱ ekklēsiā, "congregation church" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the " Though there is evidence early Waldensians affirmed doctrines like transubstantiation, prayers for the dead, and infant baptism, they were also accused of the ignorant teaching of "innumerable errors". See also Eucharist (Catholic Church On the related belief that Christ is present in the Eucharist in body blood soul and divinity see Real Presence. The Requiem (from Latin requiem, accusative case of requies, rest or Requiem Mass (informally a funeral Mass also known formally (in Latin as the Infant baptism is the Christian religious practice of baptizing infants or young children [18][19]

In 1207, one of Waldo's early companions, Durand of Huesca, converted to Catholicism after debating with Bishop Diego of Osma and St. Durand of Huesca (c1160-1224 was a Spanish Waldensian, who converted in 1207 to Catholicism. Diego de Acebo was Bishop of Osma (Castile Spain from 1201 to 1207 Dominic. Durand later went to Rome where he professed the Catholic faith to Innocent III. Innocent gave him permission to establish the Poor Catholics, a mendicant order, which continued the Waldensian preaching mission against the Cathars. The Poor Catholics ( Pauperes Catholici) were an early Catholic Mendicant order, organized in 1208 and of short duration The Franciscans and Dominicans later supplanted the Poor Catholics. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic The Order of Preachers ( Latin: Ordo Praedicatorum) after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is

Waldo and his followers developed a system whereby they would go from town to town and meet secretly with small groups of Waldensians. There they would confess sins and hold service. A traveling Waldensian preacher was known as a barba and could be either man or woman. (The idea of a female preacher was novel, almost revolutionary in and of itself, for the era. ) The group would shelter and house the barba and help make arrangements to move on to the next town in secret.

The Catholic response to Waldensians

Illustrations depicting Waldensians as witches in Le champion des dames, by Martin Le France, 1451.
Illustrations depicting Waldensians as witches in Le champion des dames, by Martin Le France, 1451. Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers

The members of the group were declared schismatics in 1184 in France and heretics more widely in 1215 by the Fourth Council of the Lateran's anathema. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Fourth Council of the Lateran was summoned by Pope Innocent III with his Papal bull of April 19, 1213. The rejection by the Church radicalized the movement; in terms of ideology the Waldensians became more obviously anti-Catholic - rejecting the authority of the clergy.

Much of what is known about the Waldensians comes from reports from Reinerius Saccho (died 1259), a former Cathar who converted to Catholicism and wrote two reports for the Inquisition, Summa de Catharis et Pauperibus de Lugduno (roughly) "Of the Sects of Modern Heretics" (1254)[20] Waldo possibly died in the early 13th century, possibly in Germany, but he was never captured and his fate uncertain. The Medieval Inquisition is a series of Inquisitions ( Roman Catholic Church bodies charged with suppressing Heresy) from around 1184, including the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

As early as the twelfth century, the Waldensians were granted refuge in Piedmont by the Count of Savoy. Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. While the House of Savoy itself remained strongly Roman Catholic, this gesture angered the Papacy. The House of Savoy (Casa Savoia was formed in the early eleventh century in the historical Savoy region While the Holy See might have been willing to tolerate the continued presence of large Muslim populations in the Normans' Kingdom of Sicily, it was less than willing to accept a new Christian sect in Piedmont. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. The Kingdom of Sicily (Regnum Siciliae or Sicilie Regno di Sicilia, commonly abbreviated Regno) was a state that existed in the south of Italy

In the thirteenth century, there was a substantial enough problem with clerical literacy that preaching to the laity in churches was hampered. Therefore, the field was somewhat clear for peripatetic evangelism of the Waldensians. At the same time, the lack of ecclesiastical structure and training meant that each sect could be at wide variance with others. The Waldensians became a diverse movement as it spread out across Europe in France, Italy, Germany, and Bohemia.

Particular efforts against the movement began in the 1230s with the Inquisition seeking the leaders of the movements. The term Inquisition can refer to any one of several institutions charged with trying and convicting heretics within the Roman Catholic Church and The movement had been almost completely suppressed in southern France within twenty years but the persecution lasted beyond into the 14th century.

Reformation

Protestant Reformation
The Reformation
History and origins
History of Protestantism
Movements and denominations
Protestantism


Protestant Reformers
Precursors

See also Template:Protestant

This box: view • talk • edit

The Waldenses were most successful in Dauphiné and Piedmont and had permanent communities in the Cottian Alps southwest of Turin. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The History of Protestantism begins with the Reformation movement which began as an attempt to reform the Catholic Church and led to the fracturing of Christendom The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power of Indulgences, commonly known as The Ninety-Five Theses, were written by Martin Luther in 1517 For other conflicts referred to as peasant wars or revolts see Peasant revolt (disambiguation. The Schmalkaldic League (Schmalkaldischer Bund was a defensive alliance of Lutheran princes within the Holy Roman Empire during the mid- 16th The Magisterial Reformation was an element of the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther and many others The Radical Reformation was a 16th century response to what was believed to be both the corruption in the Roman Catholic Church and the expanding Magisterial Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate (Mark Reust and population of The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496&ndash1561 though his teachings were a relatively The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of Worship and Doctrine, The Scottish Reformation was Scotland 's formal break with the Roman Catholic Church in 1560 and the events surrounding this Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Protestant Reformers were those Theologians churchmen, and Statesmen whose careers works and actions brought about the Protestant Reformation of the Tyndale redirects here For the English family see Tyndall. For other uses see Tyndale (disambiguation. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Menno Simons (1496 – January 25[[ 561]] was an Anabaptist religious leader from Friesland (today a province of The Netherlands) The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Thomas Müntzer (ca 1488 – 27 May 1525 was an early Reformation-era German theologian and Anabaptist Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland John Knox (c 1510 – 24 November 1572 was a Scottish clergyman and leader of the Protestant Reformation who is considered the founder of the Presbyterian Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. John Wesley (ˈwɛslɪ ( – March 2, 1791) was an Anglican cleric and Christian theologian who was the founder of the (Evangelical England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland In the History of the Roman Catholic Church, the Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1377 during which seven Popes all French, resided in Avignon John Wycliffe (ˈwɪklɪf also spelled Wyclif, Wycliff, Wiclef, Wicliffe, or Wickliffe) (mid-1320s – 31 December England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Great Schism of Western Christianity or Papal Schism (also known as the Western Schism) was a split within the Roman Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417 In the Roman Catholic Church, the Council of Constance is the 16th Ecumenical council. Jan Hus ( (ˈjan ˈɦus alternative spellings John Hus, Jan Huss, John Huss) (c Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1420 The Northern Renaissance is the term used to describe the Renaissance in Northern Europe, or more broadly in Europe outside Italy. German mysticism, sometimes called Dominican mysticism or Rhineland mysticism, was a late medieval Christian mystical movement that was especially The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, roughly corresponding to the present departments ' of the Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. In 1487 at the insistence of Pope Innocent VIII a persecution overwhelmed the Dauphiné Waldenses, but those in Piedmont defended themselves successfully. Pope Innocent VIII (1432 &ndash July 25, 1492) born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo) was Pope from 1484 until his death A crusade against Waldensians in the Dauphiné region of France was declared in 1487, but Papal representatives continued to devastate towns and villages into the mid 16th century as the Waldensians became absorbed into the wider Protestant Reformation. The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, roughly corresponding to the present departments ' of the The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time

When the news of the Reformation reached the Waldensian Valleys, the Tavola Valdese [21] decided to seek fellowship with the nascent Protestantism. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time A Synod held 1526 in Laus, a town in Chisone valley, decided to send envoys to examine the new movement.

In 1532 they met with German and Swiss Protestants and ultimately adapted their beliefs to those of the Reformed Church. Moreover, the Waldensian absorption into Protestantism led to their transformation from a sect on the edge of Catholicism that shared many Catholic beliefs into a Protestant church adhering to the theology of John Calvin, which differed much from the beliefs of Peter Waldo. John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and From that moment the Church became the Italian branch of Reformed churches. The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically

The Swiss and French Reformed churches sent William Farel and Anthony Saunier to attend the Synod of Chamforan, which convened in October, 12th 1532. William ( Guillaume) Farel (1489 &ndash 13 September 1565) was a French evangelist, and a founder of the Reformed Church Farel invited them to join the Reformation and to leave secrecy. A Confession of Faith, with Reformed doctrines, was formulated and the Waldensians decided to worship openly in French.

The first French Bible translated by Pierre Robert Olivétan with the help of Calvin and published at Neuchâtel in 1535 was based in part on a New Testament in the Waldensian vernacular. Pierre Robert Olivétan (c1506-1538 was the first to translate the Bible into the French language starting from the Hebrew and Greek texts Neuchâtel ( literally: New Castle in Old French) is the Capital of the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel on Lake The cost of its publication was defrayed by the churches in Waldensia who collected the sum of 1500 gold crowns for this purpose. [22]

Outside the Piedmont the Waldenses joined the local Protestant churches in Bohemia, France and Germany. After they came out of clandestinity, the French king, Francis I, armed a crusade against the Waldensians of Provence, completely destroying them in France in 1545. Francis I (September 12 1494 &ndash March 31 1547 was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547 Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France

The treaty of 5 June 1561 granted amnesty to the Protestants of the Valleys, including liberty of conscience and freedom to worship. Freedom of religion is the freedom of an individual or community in public or private to manifest religion or belief in teaching practice worship and observance Prisoners were released and fugitives were permitted to return home. The Reformation was also somewhat beneficial to the Vaudois, with the religious reformers showing them respect, but they still suffered in the French Wars of Religion (1562-1598). The French Wars of Religion (1562 to 1598 between French Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots involved both civil infighting

As early as 1631, Protestants scholars began to regard the Waldensians as prophets of the Reformation (like the followers of John Wycliffe and Jan Hus) who were also persecuted by Roman Catholic authorities. John Wycliffe (ˈwɪklɪf also spelled Wyclif, Wycliff, Wiclef, Wicliffe, or Wickliffe) (mid-1320s – 31 December Jan Hus ( (ˈjan ˈɦus alternative spellings John Hus, Jan Huss, John Huss) (c

Later history

In 1655 the Duke of Savoy commanded the Vaudois to attend Mass or remove to the upper valleys, giving them twenty days in which to sell their lands. Charles Emmanuel II ( Italian: Carlo Emanuele II di Savoia, June 20, 1634 &ndash June 12, 1675) was the Duke of Savoy In a most severe winter these targets of persecution, old men, women, little children and the sick "waded through the icy waters, climbed the frozen peaks, and at length reached the homes of their impoverished brethren of the upper Valleys, where they were warmly received. " There they found refuge and rest. Deceived by false reports of Vaudois resistance, the Duke sent an army. On 24 April 1655, at 4 a. m. , the signal was given for a general massacre, the horrors of which can be detailed only in small part.

The massacre was so brutal it aroused indignation throughout Europe. Oliver Cromwell, then ruler in England, began petitioning on behalf of the Vaudois, writing letters, raising contributions, calling a general fast in England and threatening to send military forces to the rescue. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The massacre prompted John Milton's famous poem on the Waldenses, "On the Late Massacre in Piedmont.". John Milton ( 9 December, 1608 – 8 November, 1674) was an English Poet, Prose Polemicist and The resistance which lasted into the 1660s was then led by a farmer, Josué Janavel [23]).

Waldensian Church of Florence, Italy
Waldensian Church of Florence, Italy

In 1685 Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, which had guaranteed freedom of religion to his Protestant subjects in France. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent The Edict of Nantes was issued on April 13, 1598 by Henry IV of France to grant the Calvinist Protestants of This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The cousin of Louis, The Duke of Savoy, Victor Amadeus II followed his uncle in removing the protection of Protestants in the Piedmont. Victor Amadeus II, Italian Vittorio Amedeo II ( May 14 1666 - October 31 1732) was the Duke of Savoy (1675-1730 Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. In the renewed persecution, an edict decreed that all inhabitants of the Valleys should publicly announce their error in religion within fifteen days under penalty of death and banishment and the destruction of all the Vaudois churches. Armies of French and Piedmontese soldiers invaded the Valleys, laying them waste and perpetrating cruelties upon the inhabitants. A pastor Henri Arnaud sought help from William of Orange. Henri Arnaud ( September 20 1641 &ndash September 8 1721) was a pastor of the Vaudois in Piedmont, who turned soldier He gathered a band of followers in Switzerland; and in 1689 made an attempt to regain their homes in the valleys.

After the French Revolution the Waldenses of Piedmont were assured liberty of conscience, and in 1848, the ruler of Savoy, King Charles Albert of Sardinia granted them full religious and civil rights. Biography He was born in Turin in 1798 to Charles Emmanuel of Savoy 6th Prince of Carignano and Albertina Maria Cristina of Saxony. Copies of the Romaunt version of the Gospel of John were preserved in Paris and Dublin. Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon The manuscripts were used as the basis of a work by Gilly published in 1848, in which it was related to the history of the New Testament in use by the Waldensians. [24] A group of Waldensians settled in the United States at Valdese, North Carolina. Valdese is a town in Burke County, North Carolina, United States.

Later sects such as Anabaptists and Baptists also began to point to the Waldensians as an example of earlier Christians who were not a part of the Roman Catholic Church, and held beliefs similar to their own. Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. The Mennonite book Martyrs Mirror lists them in this regard as it attempts to trace the history of believer's baptism back to the apostles. The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496&ndash1561 though his teachings were a relatively The Martyrs Mirror or The Bloody Theater, first published in 1660 in Dutch by Thieleman J The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e James Aitken Wylie (1808-1890) likewise believed that the Waldensians preserved the apostolic faith during the Middle Ages. James Aitken Wylie 1808-1890 was a Scottish Historian of religion and Presbyterian minister [25] Still later, Seventh-day Adventist Ellen G. White taught that the Waldenses were preservers of biblical truth during the great apostasy of the Roman Catholic Church. The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance The Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to allege a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, or especially of Catholicism [26] She believed that the Waldenses kept the seventh-day Sabbath, engaged in widespread missionary activity, and "planted the seeds of the Reformation" in Europe. The Sabbath is an important part of the belief and practice of Seventh-day Adventists, and is perhaps the defining characteristic of the denomination Like the claims of ancient origins, these claims are not backed by any mainstream scholarship. [27] However, others point to evidence of seventh-day keeping by at least some Waldenses prior to and about the time of the Reformation [28][29] Today, the Waldensian Church is included in the Alliance of Reformed Churches of the Presbyterian Order.

Waldensians by Region

In Italy

The Waldensian Church in Milan, built in 1949, incorporates materials from the demolished gothic church of San Giovanni in Conca.
The Waldensian Church in Milan, built in 1949, incorporates materials from the demolished gothic church of San Giovanni in Conca. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest San Giovanni in Conca is a Crypt of a former basilica church in Milan, northern Italy.

In 1848, after many centuries of harsh persecution, the Waldensians (as well as the Jews) acquired legal freedom in the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia as a result of the liberalising reforms which followed Charles Albert of Sardinia’s granting a constitution (the Statuto Albertino). PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Kingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720 when the Biography He was born in Turin in 1798 to Charles Emmanuel of Savoy 6th Prince of Carignano and Albertina Maria Cristina of Saxony. The Statuto Albertino or Albertine Statute was the Constitution that King Charles Albert I of Sardinia conceded to the Kingdom of Sardinia Subsequently the Waldensian Evangelical Church, as it became known, developed and spread through the Italian peninsula. The Waldensian Evangelical Church is an Italian historical Protestant denomination started from predications of Peter Waldo in 1173

The Waldensian church was able to gain converts by building schools in some of the poorer regions of Italy, including Sicily. There is still a Waldensian church in the town of Grotte, Province of Agrigento at the southwest part of the island. Grotte is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region Sicily, located about 80 km southeast of Agrigento ( Provincia di Agrigento; Sicilian: Pruvincia di Girgenti) is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily The Waldensians that belonged to this church were derided as "crazy Protestants" by their countrymen and those that married Waldensians were sometimes disowned by their predominantly Roman Catholic families. The Grottese that emigrated to Rochester, New York in 1910 and the years after that had their own church and minister until about the 1930s, when they merged with the Waring Baptist Church after their church was burned by the neighborhood Catholics.

During the Nazi occupation of North Italy in the Second World War, Italian Waldensians were active in saving Jews faced with imminent extermination, hiding many of them in the same mountain valley where their own Waldensian ancestors had found refuge in earlier generations. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including PLEASE TAKE NOTE************

In 1975 the Waldensian Church joined the Italian Methodist Church to form the Union of Waldensian and Methodist Churches, which is a member of the World Council of Churches, of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and of the World Methodist Council. The Italian Methodist Church was a non- episcopal Methodist church which was integrated in 1975 into the Waldensian Evangelical Church, in order to form The Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches is an Italian united church. The World Council of Churches ( WCC) is an international The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC is a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of The World Methodist Council, founded in 1881, is an association of churches in the Methodist tradition which comprises most of the world's Wesleyan denominations It has 50,000 members (45,000 Waldensians, of whom 30,000 in Italy and some 15,000 divided between Argentina and Uruguay, and 5,000 Methodists).

In South America

The first Waldensian settlers from Italy arrived in South America in 1856 and today the Waldensian Church of the Río de La Plata (which forms a united church with the Waldensian Evangelical Church) has approximately 40 congregations and 15,000 members shared between Uruguay and Argentina. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Río de la Plata ( Spanish: " Silver River" &mdash which is often referred to in English-speaking countries as the River Plate Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. More history is available in Spanish at the website of the Waldensians in South America.

In the United States of America

Since colonial times there have been Waldensians who found freedom on American shores, as marked by the presence of them in New Jersey and Delaware. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. In the late 1800s many Italians, among them Waldensians, emigrated to the United States. They founded communities in New York City, Chicago, Monett, Galveston and Rochester. The City of New York Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Monett is a city in Monett Township in Barry County and Pierce Township in Lawrence County, Missouri, United States. "Galveston" redirects here For the town in the US state of Indiana see Galveston Indiana. Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Some Waldensians living in the Cottian Alps region of Northern Italy migrated to North Carolina in 1893 and founded the most notable Waldensian settlement in North America in Valdese, North Carolina, where the congregation uses the name Waldensian Presbyterian Church. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States Valdese is a town in Burke County, North Carolina, United States.

In 1906, through the initiative of church forces in New York City, Waldensian interest groups were invited to coalesce into a new entity, The American Waldensian Aid Society (AWS), organized “to collect funds and apply the same to the aid of the Waldensian Church in Italy and elsewhere…and to arouse and maintain interest throughout the US in the work of said Church…” Today, this organization continues as the American Waldensian Society. The American Waldensian Society recently marked its Centennial with a conference and celebrations in New York City.

By the 1920s most of the Waldensian churches and missions merged into the Presbyterian Church due to the cultural assimilation of the second and third generations. The Presbyterian Church (USA or PC (USA is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States.

The work of the American Waldensian Society continues in the United States today. The mission of the American Waldensian Society is to foster dialogue and partnership among Waldensian Churches in Italy and South America and Christian churches within North America in order to promote a compelling vision of Waldensian Christian witness for North America.

The vision of the society is to be a passionate witness in North America to the contemporary and historic Waldensian spiritual heritage: to Proclaim the Gospel; to Serve among the Marginalized; to Promote Social Justice; to Foster Inter-religious Work; and to Advocate Respect for Religious Diversity and Freedom of Conscience.

There exists a group under the name "The Old Waldensian Church of Anabaptists" that claim to have originally come from the Italian organization but after coming to America has maintained independence from church organizations or government incorporation including any tax exemption status. Once a sizable Church they have dwindled today to a very small group in Ohio and another in Pennsylvania. [30]

The most well known Waldensian Churches in America were in New York and in Valdese North Carolina. There is no longer a church in New York City.

The American Waldensian Society assists churches, organizations and families in the promotion of Waldensian history and culture. The society is friend to those who work to preserve their millennial heritage among their descendants. For example, over the course of 41 years, the Old Colony Players in Valdese, North Carolina, have staged "From this Day Forward," an outdoor drama telling the story of the Waldenses and the founding of Valdese. Valdese is a town in Burke County, North Carolina, United States.

Both the Waldensian Presbyterian Church and the American Waldensian Society have links with the Italian-based Waldensian Evangelical Church, but, differently to the South American Waldensian communities, they are independent from it. The Waldensian Evangelical Church is an Italian historical Protestant denomination started from predications of Peter Waldo in 1173

In Germany

In 1698 approximately 3,000 Waldenses fled from Italy and came to South Rhine valley. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Most of them returned to their Piedmont valleys, but those who remained in Germany were assimilated by the State Churches (Lutheran and Reformed) and 10 congregations exist today as part of the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland. Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. EKD redirects here For the Basque political party see Democracia Cristiana Vasca.

Characteristics of the Waldensian Church

Today

The present Waldensian Church considers itself to be a Christian Protestant church of the Reformed tradition originally framed by John Calvin. [7] It recognizes as its doctrinal standard the confession of faith published in 1655 and based on the Reformed confession of 1559. It admits only two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's Supper. [7] Supreme authority in the body is exercised by an annual synod, and the affairs of the individual congregations are administered by a consistory under the presidency of the pastor. [7]

Historic doctrine

Among the earliest beliefs taught by the Waldensians were the denial of purgatory, and of indulgences and prayers for the dead. They considered all lying as a serious sin, they refused to take oaths and considered the shedding of human blood a crime. They consequently condemned war and the death penalty. In the pre-Reformation days of the movement, they also taught that the validity of the sacraments depended on the worthiness of the minister. They challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic Church insofar as it was not based on the Scriptures. [7]

Historical organization

Among the Waldenses the perfect, bound by the vow of poverty, wandered about from place to place preaching. [7] Such an itinerant life was ill-suited for the married state, and to the profession of poverty they added the vow of chastity. Clerical celibacy is the practice in various religious traditions, in which Clergy, Monastics and those (of either sex in religious orders adopt a Married persons who desired to join them were permitted to dissolve their union without the consent of their partner. [7] Orderly government was secured by the additional vow of obedience to superiors. [7] The perfect were not allowed to perform manual labour, but were to depend for their subsistence on the members of the sect known as the friends. [7] These continued to live in the world, married, owned property, and engaged in secular pursuits. Their generosity and alms were to provide for the material needs of the perfect. [7] The friends remained in union with the Roman Catholic Church and continued to receive its sacraments with the exception of penance, for which they sought out, whenever possible, one of their own ministers. [7]

The name Waldenses was at first exclusively reserved to the perfect; but in the course of the thirteenth century the friends were also included in the designation. [7]

The perfect were divided into the three classes of bishops, priests, and deacons. The bishop, called "major" or "majoralis", preached and administered the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and Holy Orders. [7] The celebration of the Eucharist, frequent perhaps in the early period, soon took place only on Holy Thursday. [7] The priest preached and enjoyed limited faculties for the hearing of confessions. The deacon, named "junior" or "minor", acted as assistant to the higher orders and by the collection of alms relieved them of all material care. [7] The bishop was elected by a joint meeting of priests and deacons. [7] In his consecration, as well as in the ordination of the other members of the clergy, the laying-on of hands was the principal element; but the recitation of the Lord's Prayer, so important in the Waldensian liturgy, was also a prominent feature. [7] The power of jurisdiction seems to have been exercised exclusively by one bishop, known as the "rector", who was the highest executive officer. [7] Supreme legislative power was vested in the general convention or general chapter, which met once or twice a year, and was originally composed of the perfect but at a later date only of the senior members among them. [7] It considered the general situation of the sect, examined the religious condition of the individual districts, admitted to the episcopate, priesthood, or diaconate, and pronounced upon the admission of new members and the expulsion of unworthy ones. [7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, pp. 874-876
  2. ^ Milton: Sonnet 18
  3. ^ Neff, Christian and Harold S. Bender. "Waldenses. " Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia. 1959.
  4. ^ Chiesa evangelica valdese - Welcome
  5. ^ American Waldensian Society
  6. ^ [www. waldensian. org waldensian. org]
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15527b.htm The Waldenses
  8. ^ American Waldensian Society
  9. ^ American Waldensian Society
  10. ^ Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, pp. 874-876
  11. ^ Ancient Church of Piedmont, Dr. Peter Allix, pp. 182, Oxford: 1821
  12. ^ Ancient Church of Piedmont, Dr. Peter Allix, pp. 192, Oxford: 1821
  13. ^ Ancient Church of Piedmont, Dr. Peter Allix, pp. 182, Oxford: 1821
  14. ^ History of the Christian Church, William Jones, Vol II, p. 2.
  15. ^ Bosio, Enrico - "La Nobla Leyczon considérée au point de vue de la doctrine, de la morale et de l’histoire", Bulletin de la Societe d'Histoire Vaudoise, n. 2 (dic. 1885), pp. 20-36.
  16. ^ American Waldensian Society
  17. ^ American Waldensian Society
  18. ^ Rosalind B. Brooke, The Coming of the Friars (NY: Barnes and Noble, 1975), 72-73.
  19. ^ A. H. Newman, A History of Anti-Pedobaptism from the Rise of Pedobaptism to A. D. 1609 (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1897), 41
  20. ^ Reinarius Saccho, Of the Sects of the Modern Heretics 1254. e-text of this list of Waldensian beliefs
  21. ^ Church structure described by American Waldensian Society - see second paragraph.
  22. ^ Wylie, (p. 62)
  23. ^ Janavel, Combats, Exil et Pouvoir d'un Grand Capitaine, Biography of Josué Janavel (in French
  24. ^ Gilly, William S. 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 , The Romaunt Version of the Gospel according to St. John, from MSS. preserved in Trinity College, Dublin, and in the Bibliothèque du Roi, Paris. With an introductory history of the version of the New Testament, anciently in use among the old Waldenses, and remarks on the texts of the Dublin, Paris, Grenoble, Zurich and Lyons MSS. of that version.
  25. ^ J. A. Wylie, The History of Protestantism
  26. ^ Ellen G. White. The Great Controversy, Chapter 4 - The Waldenses.  
  27. ^ Did the Waldenses keep the seventh day sabbath?
  28. ^ J.N. Andrews. John Nevins Andrews (1829 in Poland Maine – October 21, 1883 in Basel Switzerland) was a Seventh-day Adventist minister missionary History of the Sabbath, Chapter 21 - The Sabbath During the Dark Ages.  
  29. ^ J.N. Andrews. John Nevins Andrews (1829 in Poland Maine – October 21, 1883 in Basel Switzerland) was a Seventh-day Adventist minister missionary History of the Sabbath, Chapter 25 - Sabbath Keepers During The Reformation Times From The Fifteenth To The Seventeenth Century.  
  30. ^ Arnold,Dr. Marvin M. , History of Churches in Michigan and the Ohio Valley, pp. 10,Essay, Arno Publications, Washington, MI 2002

Further reading

External links

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
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic