Massacre in France
The first of the Crusades, initiated by the popes of the Middle Ages to free Jerusalem from Arab control, commenced in 1096. Three further Crusades were launched over the course of the next century, but by then the church had learned to use the Crusades in other ways.
Pope Innocent III ruled when the Catholic Church was perhaps at its zenith. Men would swarm to wear “the Cross,” as it was termed, when, beyond the excitement of being in an exotic land, for 40 days service, one’s sins could all be forgiven and a clear way to heaven provided, with a greater share of eternal salvation. Such short-term soldiers were constantly employed by Pope Innocent III to suppress heresies taking root in various parts of Europe at the dawn of the new millennium.
One group who became the object of Innocent’s enthusiasm for orthodoxy were the Albigenses of southern France. He launched a “crusade” against them.
These people were centred in the town of Albi, from which the name Albigenses has come. They were also called Cathars. They believed in dualism, much like the Manicheans of earlier times, in which there were two eternal principles of good and evil.
From this came the belief that the flesh and all material creation were seen as evil. They also rejected the doctrine of hell, purgatory and resurrection. Worse for them, they rejected the authority of the established church, and it was most likely this affront to the church that brought them into direct conflict with Innocent.
The Albigenses were good-living people in contrast to the loose living of many of the priests of the time; their neighbourliness was noteworthy also. Thus their numbers increased in southern France and, at Albi, the first of their bishops had his see or area of control.
Members of the Albigenses who entered fully into their beliefs were called the “perfecti” or perfect ones, because they renounced the flesh and marriage as evil and lived “perfect” lives as a blessing to others.
It was in 1208 when Peter of Castelnau, the papal legate in Languedoc, was assassinated. This was blamed on Raymond of Toulouse, who was seen as sympathetic to the Albigenses.
Simon de Montfort was French born, but after becoming the Earl of Leicester, lived in England. He had been very active in the Fourth Crusade. Now the pope issued indulgences to all who would help exterminate the heretics in southern France. De Montfort became the leader of an army thrown together for the purpose. He attacked Béziers and Carcassone, towns in the Albigensian district.
Béziers was the first to suffer siege. Its occupants refused to surrender the Albigenses who sheltered with them. On July 22, 1209, the defences of the town were breached and across the moat and through the walls de Montfort’s army surged.
“Kill them all,” urged their leader, “God will know which are His!”
And with this cry ringing in their ears, they butchered 20,000 men, women and children. Blood poured from the cathedral, where many had taken refuge. Then the city was torched.
Carcassone, Montpellier and other towns were attacked in quick succession. Simon de Montfort himself fulfilled the words of Jesus when He said, “He that takes the sword shall die by the sword,” and was killed in the siege of Toulouse. On his tomb in Carcassonne the epitaph shows him as a saint and a martyr.
Of this William of Tudela in The Story of the Crusade, says: “If one may seek Christ by killing men and shedding blood, by winning lands by violence, by fostering evil and snuffing out good, and by slaughtering women and children, then must Simon surely shine resplendent in heaven.”
With the Albigenses dispersed and in hiding, a peace was signed in Paris, in 1229. However, Pope Gregory IX, now the reigning pope, wanted the complete extermination of this hotbed of heresy and in 1233 commissioned the Dominicans to bring the Inquisition to the area.
With the fall of the mountain fortress Montségur in 1244 and the thorough work of the Inquisition, these people, who loved Jesus but refused to be directed by the establishment, were annihilated.
The Albigenses were different, and for this they paid the ultimate price. Yet they loved Jesus and lived by His principles, a summary lesson for all who value principle above dogma and liberty more than death.
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