The Cathars of Languedoc have been very near to my mind and heart since I first heard about them in 2011, and then started learning more about them in recent years. My sense of closeness to this medieval group has grown considerably in the past few months. This is not because of their creed or beliefs, but because of their ability to be a real community to one another; to love their spiritual beliefs despite the threat, power and dominance of the medieval Catholic Church, and their willingness to confront the corruption of the medieval Church. The Cathars endured torture and extermination beyond what the reformation martyrs endured. A million men, women and children killed, many burned alive at the stake on huge pyres or made to walk into huge fires. The inquisition said “The smallest trace of “sin” had to be extirpated and the corrupt body had to be destroyed and evil exorcised in the flames….”. The power of love, the gift of community and the repudiation of worldly power mark their life and witness. They were loved by their fellow non Cathar citizens.
Martyrs of Languedoc ~ pray for us 