Catharism

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Routes des châteaux cathares

Paradise Lost 1

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Hieronymus Bosch - The Fall of the Rebel Angels (obverse) - WGA2572

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Berruguete ordeal

Catharism was a Christian dualist or Gnostic revival movement that thrived in some areas of Southern Europe, particularly what is now northern Italy and southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. The followers, known as Cathars, held a number of beliefs that were contrary to those of the Roman Catholic Church, leading to the Cathar Crusade (1209–1229), a military campaign initiated by the Church to eliminate the Cathar heresy. Catharism was eventually exterminated by the early 14th century due to the combined forces of the Crusade and the Inquisition.

Beliefs and Practices

Catharism presented a dualistic worldview, positing the existence of two equal and opposite gods. The good god, associated with the spiritual realm, was considered the creator of the soul, while the evil god, associated with the material world, was believed to have created the physical world and all its sufferings. Cathars thus regarded the material world as evil and sought to liberate their souls from it through a life of asceticism and purity.

One of the most distinctive practices of the Cathars was the consolamentum, a sacrament of the Holy Spirit, which was the only sacrament they recognized. It was administered to believers as a form of spiritual baptism, often on their deathbeds, to purify the soul for its return to the spiritual realm.

Cathars also rejected the sacraments of the Catholic Church, the authority of the Pope, and the hierarchical structure of the Church. They held that their own community of the faithful, comprising both men and women who were considered equals, could attain salvation without the need for a church or clergy.

Persecution

The growth of Catharism represented a significant challenge to the authority of the Roman Catholic Church, leading to its condemnation as a heresy. The Albigensian Crusade, launched in 1209, was a brutal military campaign aimed at eradicating Catharism from the Languedoc region of France. This crusade was marked by mass killings and the siege of towns such as Béziers and Carcassonne.

Following the crusade, the Papal Inquisition was established to root out remaining Cathars and suppress heresy through judicial means. The Inquisition used various methods, including torture, to extract confessions from those accused of Cathar beliefs, leading to executions and the widespread fear of persecution.

Legacy

Despite the eradication of Catharism as a religious movement, it has left a lasting legacy in the regions where it once flourished. The Cathars are remembered for their radical beliefs and the severe persecution they faced from the Catholic Church. Their history is a subject of interest for historians, and the Languedoc region still holds remnants of Cathar castles and fortresses, which are popular tourist attractions.

The story of the Cathars also contributes to discussions on religious tolerance, the limits of authority in matters of faith, and the history of dissenting religious movements in Europe.