The Cathars - Part 2

In brief, the following will attempt to outline what the Church of Rome was up against in dealing with the formidable rival that had overtaken the South of France in the late 12th century.

From "The Treasure of Montsegur"

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Council after Council is held and condemns 'the errors of the heretics', and particularly those of Southern France who, from the Council of Tours onwards, are known as 'Albigenses'. This name simply means the people of the ecclesiastical province of Albi, for it was natural for the Church to distinguish such movements according to their geographic distribution in the ecclesiastical provinces.

The position in Southern France was indeed at this time most serious from the point-of-view of the Church. Elsewhere, the movements of revolt had sooner or later burned themselves out or succumbed before the hostility of the well-organized forces of Church and State. But in Southern France at this critical moment, when people were aspiring to a more ardent Christianity, not only did the Roman Church seem to have lost all sense of its mission, but a rival Church, claiming equal, or rather superior Apostolic authority, was undertaking a systematic effort at conversion, and by the second half of the 12th century had virtually displaced the Church of Rome as the recognized vehicle of Christian revelation throughout Languedoc. This movement was Catharism, by far the most important of the anti-Catholic movements of the period.

Catharism was no spontaneous popular movement called into being by the haphazard inspiration of visionary enthusiasts or chance reformers; it was a definitely organized Church with a distinctive rite of admission and a trained priestly caste. It claimed to be nothing less than the true Church of Christ, its orders handed down in unbroken succession from the Apostles and retaining the power, which the false Church of Rome  had lost or never possessed, of 'baptizing with the Holy Spirit and with Fire'. Against this stupendous claim and the success of its ministers the Catholic Church found itself obliged to mobilize all its resources, finally raising against it a Crusade which was pursued more relentlessly than any against the Saracen infidel, and then creating an Inquisition to hunt down Cathars to the last man, even in the trackless valleys and impenetrable caves of the Pyrenees, never resting until it was satisfied that the last of them had been exterminated.

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To understand why Catharism was successful in drawing adherents away from the Roman Church, we have the following: 

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To explain the success of Catharism against Catholicism in 12th century Languedoc, all that is necessary is to compare the picture of practical Christianity presented by the two Churches to an age avid for a vital religion. For the Roman, we cannot do better than a quote from Pope Innocent III himself, the very Pope who would call down the Crusade against the 'Albigenses':

"Simoniacs who sell justice, absolve the rich and condemn the poor. They do not keep even the laws of the Church. They accumulate benefices and entrust the priesthood and ecclesiastical dignities to unworthy priests and illiterate children. Hence, the insolence of the heretics; hence the contempt of nobles and people for God and His Church. In this region, prelates are the laughing stock of the laity...the Archbishop of Narbonne knows no other God than money, his heart is a bank".

In contrast to this was the life and character of the Cathars, whose name means 'Pure' from the Greek Katharos. This name was strictly applied only to those who had received the Consolamentum or Baptism of the Spirit. These alone formed the Church, and they acted as ministers of religion to the mass of people who were simply 'Credents' or Believers. The true Cathari were usually called Perfecti or Parfaits by the Catholics, while to their own followers they were known simply as the 'Good Men' or the 'Good Christians'. Their aim above all was to live the Pure Life in strict obedience to the teachings of The Christ. Renouncing all worldly possessions they devoted themselves not only to an active ministry of preaching, but to healing the sick, teaching the young, and aiding the people even in their manual labor, asking nothing in return. They travelled the country indefatigably, carrying no money, seeking no reward save the joy of winning souls for Christ, shirking no sacrifice and subjecting themselves to the most rigid asceticism.

From "Catharism: The Historical Setting" - The Treasure of Montesgur - Birks, Gilbert

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The Church tried persuasion, debate and excommunication (where not only was one kicked out of the the Catholic Church but one's goods, possessions and lands could be declared forfeit by the Church...declared forfeit!!). They even went so far as to try and emulate the Cathars by creating an order of monks Cistercian)who would take on poverty and walk the countryside preaching Catholicism, in imitation of the Cathari.

Every one of these measures failed to produce the desired result. And on this planet, we all know that where Persuasion fails, Force cannot be far behind.

~ g
.