GENOCIDE OF THE LBIGENSES BY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

BEGINNING Albigensianism began in the 12th cent. Named from the word "albi (white)", for the town Albi, Northeast of Toulouse in Southerm France, these 12th century "heretics" rejected the intercession of saints, purgatory, and other beliefs and practices as "errors of Rome". The official charge against the Albigenses was "denying the sacraments". (Medieval Jews were forced to wear a yellow star. And condemned heretics were forced to wear on their backs large crosses of yellow material sewn to their garments.)

Albigensians resided in Languedoc and Toulouse, but also included those in Italy (such as Verona, home of "Romeo and Juliet") called Cathari and Bulgari. Albigensians were subjects of Raymond, sixth count of Toulouse, having embraced the opinions, received them under his protection.

Denounced as heretics, they were actually Cathari, Provençal adherents of a doctrine similar to the Manichaean dualistic system of material evil and spiritual good (see Manichaeans and Bogomils). They held the coexistence of these two principles, represented by God and the Evil One, light and dark, the soul and the body, the next life and this life, peace and war, and the like. They believed that Jesus only seemed to have a human body. Anything material was considered evil including the body, created by Satan. On the other hand, the soul, created by the good god, was imprisoned in the evil flesh and salvation was possible only through holy living and doing good works. At death, if the person has been spiritual enough, salvation comes to the believer. But, if the person has not been good enough, he is reincarnated as an animal or another human. The Albigenses denied the resurrection of the body since it was The Albigenses denied the resurrection of the body since it was considered evil.considered evil.

The Albigenses were extremely ascetic, abstaining from flesh in all its forms, including milk and cheese. They comprised two classes, believers and Perfect, the former much more numerous, making up a catechumenate not bound by the stricter rules observed by the Perfect. The Perfect were those who had received the sacrament of consolamentum, a kind of laying on of hands.

(A contemporary, "Raynaldus", cited in the Internet Medieval SourceBook, attributes their extremism to horror at the "homocides" of the Old Testament God, as delineated in files at this Website. Three other useful sources are Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, by Rebecca West; Love in the Western World, by Denis de Rougemont; and Montaillou, Land of Error, by LeRoy Ladurie. Please note that, theologically and echatologically, Catharism or Albigentianism relates back to the Gnosticism, described at this Website, anent the burning of the great Library of Alexandria, Egypt. Also a modern link is to the "Heaven's Gate" suicides, circa March 20, 1997, San Diego, CAL -- www.rickross.com/references/heavensgate/gate8.html -- wherein 30 men and women committed suicide when the Hale-Bopp comet passed near the earth, thinking that their souls would pass to a space-ship following in the tail of the comet.)

The Albigenses held their clergy in high regard. An occasional practice was suicide, preferably by starvation; for if this life is essentially evil, its end is to be hastened.

They had enthusiasm for proselytizing and preached vigorously. This fact partly accounted for their success, for at that time preaching was unknown in ordinary parish life.

In the practice of asceticism as well, the contrast between local clergy and the Albigenses was helpful to the new sect.

When local bishops failed to correct adherents, and hearing reports of their succcessful proslytizing, Pope Innocent resolved to exterminate them. First the Pope excommunicated them, asking clergy to deny them sacraments and forbade communication with them. Then Pope Innocent sent St. Bernard of Clairvaux and other Cistercians to counter-preach in Languedoc, the center of Albigensianism.

In 1167 the Albigenses set up their own council at Toulouse. Pope Innocent III renewed the attacked on them. In 1205, he sent St. Dominic with a band of poor preaching friars into Albigensian cities. But these missionaries were diverted by the outbreak of war.

The Albigensian Crusade In 1208 Pope Innocent II dispatched a papal legate, a Cistercian, Peter de Castelnau, to demand of Raymond their destruction. Raymond refused and the Pope's legate was murdered, probably by an aid of Raymond VI of Toulouse.

In 1208 Pope Innocent III proclaimed (1208) a Crusade against the Albigenses, just as previous popes had declared crusades against Islamic "infidels".

In 1209 a large army was gathered and equipped under the guidance of Simon, earl of Montfort. But political interests dominated. Supporting Simon de Montfort, the Catholic leader, was France. Supposting Raymond VI of Toulouse, Albigensian leader, was King Peter II of Aragón, irreproachably Catholic. Pope Innocent broached peace, but the prize of S. France tempted Catholic Crusaders to continue ravaging the entire region.

Terrified by the vast army sent against him, Raymond yielded to the demands of the Pope. A nephew of Raymond prosecuted the war, but was at last forced to submit.In 1213 at Muret, Simon de Montfort, the Catholic leader, was victorious. and Peter of Aragón was killed. The war contnued, with the son of Philip II (later Louis VIII) of France as one of the leaders. The death of Simon de Montfort, Crusade leader, in 1218 left his less competent son to continue the fight.

Honorius III, the successor of Innocent was determined to complete the work. He prevailed on Louis VIII, king of France to march at the head of a great army, Louis IX finished the work of his father. St. Louis's war, was a terrible and bloody war, continued for several years, and thousands of innocents were slain. Raymond's son, Raymond VII, joined the war, which was finally terminated with honorable capitulation of Raymond VII.

In the Peace Treaty of Paris (1229), Louis IX of France acquired the county of Toulouse. But the religious consequence of the Crusade was negligible.

In 1233, Pope Gregory IX established a system of legal investigation in Albigensian centers and put it into the hands of the Dominicans. Thus began the Medieval Inquisition.

After 100 years of the Inquisition, and tireless preaching by the friars, and of reform of the clergy, Albigensianism ended.