Nexus - 1401 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

just what was going through the minds of the popes. After an religious ends, and was authorised by a papal bull. intriguing conclave lasting 10 weeks, Gherardo Caccianemici was Eighty-six years earlier, in 1096, Pope Urban II (1042-99; pope elected pope in 1144 and adopted the name of Lucius II. Modern 1088-99) sanctioned the first of eight Church crusades that Catholic historians look upon him as "a pillar of the Roman extended in time to a total of 19, and they continued unabated for Church" (The Popes: A Concise Biographical History, ibid., p. 475 years (1096-1571). Heresy, said the Church, was a blow in 215), but the truth of the matter is much different. The Italians the face of God and it was the duty of every Christian to kill saw with dismay the new papal policy in which Pope Lucius II heretics. Earlier still, Pope Gregory VII (1020-85; pope ordered a crusade against his own flock in Rome. Eleven months 1073-85) officially declared that "[t]he killing of heretics is not later, he personally led papal troops into battle and stormed the murder" and decreed it legal for the Church and its militants to city. However, the residents, led by Giordano (Jordan) Pierleoni, kill non-believers in Christian dogma. Up until the 19th century, rose up against him and the pope's army was defeated with great | popes compelled Christian monarchs to make heresy a crime loss of life. Badly wounded in the battle, Lucius II died of punishable by death under their civil codes, but it was not heresy injuries on 15 February 1145 aly Fate = Elkck T that instigated the crusade against (The Pope Encyclopedia: An A nem epemane the Cathars: its purpose was to to Z of the Holy See, Matthew "yield the papacy additional land Bunson, Crown, New York, and revenues, and the popes 1995). engaged in brutalities, threats and all kinds of stratagems to attain their ends" (The Story of Religious Controversy, Dr Joseph McCabe, 1929, p. 40). The Cathars, a peaceable and ious body of people, were now singled out by the Christian hierarchy for total destruction. We ind it hard today to realise the commotion raised by Christianity and the ardour of the popes' bitter campaigns against the Cathars, and ater against the progeny of Frederick II and then the Knights Templar. Pope Celestine III (1106-98; ope 1191-98) supported the earlier decision of Pope Lucius III to annihilate every Cathar from the ‘ace of the Earth. To do this, now early in the 13th century, Pope Innocent III (Lotario di Segni, 161-1216; pope 1198-1216), "one of the greatest popes of the Middle Ages" (Catholic Encyclopedia, vili, p. 13), ordered Dominic de Guzman (1170-1223) to develop a troop of merciless followers called "the Catholic series of fictitious documents . a 7 . 7 army" (Catholic Encyclopedia, v, called the "Forged Decretals of This mosaic of Pope Innocent III, showing him around the p- 107), and an initial force of Gratian". The assembled time he became pope at the age of thirty-seven (c. 1198), is 200,000 foot troops was from the old basilica of St Peter. Innocent Ill ruled "one of octablished with assistance from the most shameful episodes in Christian history" (The 59 9909 mail-clad, horse-mounted Papacy, ibid., p. 67). Because of his vehemence in dealing knights. The general populace and most stubborn in their hold With "the menace of heresy” (Catholic Encyclopedia, viii, P. Jabelled them the "Throat-cutters" upon unenlightened nations. 16), his name in later times became a synonym for cruelty but Dominic deemed them the The darker features of this (Diderot's Encyclopédie). "Militia of Jesus Christ" (ibid.), period are not in dispute among authoritative historians, and here, and he later increased the army by an additional 100,000 troops. if ever, we must proceed with severe discrimination. In this The Catholic writer Bishop Delany (d. c. 1227) said that the period of Christian history, hundreds of thousands of people were — Church's fighting force developed into 500,000 troops against a butchered by the Church and the fairest half of France was laid body of ordinary, unarmed folk who saw that, in practice, the desolate. In 1182, Pope Lucius II (1181-85; d. 1185) gained papal system of religion was frivolous and false. control of the official apparatus of the Church, and in 1184 The crusade against the Cathars began on 22 July 1209, and it declared the Cathars heretics and authorised a crusade against was a ruthless demonstration of the Church Militant. Arnaud them. A crusade is a war instigated by the Church for alleged Amaury (d. 1225), the Abbé of Citeaux, commanded troops The Inquisition and the Crusade against the Cathars The "glorious 12th century", which for some reason the faithful exalt proudly above all others of the Dark Ages of Faith, was ushered in with the horrific Inquisition and the 35- year crusade against the Cathars (sometimes called the Albigenses). "By this term [Inquisition] is usually meant a special ecclesiastical institution for combating or suppressing heresy" (Catholic Encyclopedia, viii, p. 26)—"heresy" simply meaning “holding a different opinion". Its introduction was the only time in Christian history when the Church was united in purpose and spoke with one voice. The Inquisition became a permanent office of Christianity and, to justify the tribunal's principles, the popes introduced a potent instrument in the form of an additiona forgeries are some of the greatest impostures known to mankind, the most successfu NEXUS = 39 DECEMBER 2006 — JANUARY 2007 www.nexusmagazine.com