Waldenesses

As defined by the code of canon law of Roman Catholic Church, Schism means withdrawal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or from communion with the members of the church subject to him. By the virtue of cannon 1382 of the code, it entailed automatic excommunication to any found guilty of such character.

            One of the famous dissenter's sect that the Roman Catholic pronounced as schism was the Waldenses who were equally known as Vaudois.  The sect originated around territories of the valley of Alps in Italy and portions of South Eastern France and spread to all the countries in Europe.

History Of The Movement

The origin of the sect is not too clear as some historians held that it existed during early days of apostle s and  drove its name from the valley it was formed and its faithfuls  inhabited.

Another angle of thought records that Waldenses originated in 1160Ad by a French citizen called Peter Wald.  The conflicting stories about the origin of the sect is an important issue to resolve.  Some scholars or historians are of the conclusion that Waldenses acted as an important link in the process of transmission of apostolic truth from the time of Yahoshea Meshiyach to the era of Reformation and to the present age.

By true records, Waldenses is the major dissenter group from Cathoclism that endured at a longest period.  Some evidence have shown that the sect existed in the days of Emperor Constantine the Great.  Many church historians have concluded the sect to be the origin of Baptist Church.  Others conclude that it is a continuation of Novatianism of 3rd century Ad.

But in all, the sect is widely known and active during 11th and 15th centuries and become the most antagonistic traditional belief to Catholicism.  The sect was opposed to the belief and practices of Catholic church and thereby attracted wildest rage of fury of the Catholic during the era of inquisition

Purpose And Spread

One of the greatest disagreement of the body with Roman Catholic was about Baptism.  While the Roman Catholic at a point of their history sanctioned the doctrine of infant baptism and sprinkling of water upon those receiving the sacrament of Baptism, the Waldenses was practically identified by emersion baptism and has no iota of regard for infant baptism.

Church records  bear that the Roman church adopted emersion from 3rd century that was viewed as its formative era to 10th century before the practice  of sprinkling of water upon those receiving baptism began to filter into the church.  The introduction of affusion was practically allowed in case of sickness and thereby called “child baptism”.  The doctrine of child baptism was sanctioned by the Council of Ravenna in 1311 Ad.

Likewise the doctrine of infant baptism was enforced during the Laterian Council of 1139 which spelt that a severe punishment will be visited upon parents that reject infant baptism.

By the edict, the Waldenses and Albigenses became the greatest target of Roman Catholic venom because both sects forthly rejected the baptism of infants as required by the edict.  The Waldenses maintained that baptism was  neither necessary or useful for infants, because the baptism do not profit infants.

Treasured  Emersion Baptism

According to church historian Allix, the French Bishop Gerard of Arras and Cambrag accused the Waldenses for  abhorring (Catholic) baptism, “they said baptism added nothing to our justification, and a strange confession, do not seem to belong to, or be of any advantage to a little child, who neither wills, nor runs, who knows nothing of faith, and as altogether ignorant of his own good and salvation, in whom there can be no desire of regeneration, and from whom no confession of faith can be expected”.

The Waldenses rejected all nature or process that involve infant baptism.  So,  they rejected the issue of god father during administration of the infant baptism but insist that a receiver of sacrament of baptism must be an adult who will have faith of his or her own which is a prior condition for baptism.

In the points raised by Pierre de Bruis over infant baptism stipulate that “children before they arrive at age of intelligence, can be saved by baptism or that the faith of another person can be useful to them, since, according to those of his opinion, it is not the faith of another which saves, but the faith of the individual with baptism, according to our masters word, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned”.

On the contrary to the points of Waldenses, the Roman Catholic Church stood on the conclusion that infant baptism is valid as was defended by Stephen of Borbone in 1225 in this way, “One argument of their error is, that baptism does not profit little children to their salvation, who have neither the motive or the faith, as it is said in the later part of Mark, he who will not believe will be condemned”.

Again an Australian Inquisitor in 1260 Ad defended the children baptism as thus “Concerning baptism, some err in saying that little children are not saved by baptism, for the master says, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.  Now, a child does not yet believe, consequently is not saved”.

Persecution Of The Sect

The Waldenses were sporadically  accused in the Books of Sentences of Inquisition of Toulouse on issues of non-infant baptism and re-baptizing of members.

The Roman Catholic did not merely accused the Waldenses of not observing infant baptism but waged constant persecution against them in order to force them to baptize their infants.

For fear of persecution, some people of less faith amongst the Waldenses took their infant children to Catholic priests  for baptism but the Waldenses themselves did not officiate such sacrament by themselves.

In many Bulls of Popes and decrees from Church Councils over many years, there were evidences of charges of non-belief of infant baptism by Waldenses and they were persecuted by such acts.

Acts And Beliefs

Another major doctrinal difference between Waldenses and Catholic Church was on the doctrine of transubstantiation. The Waldeneses were of the belief that the only ordinances that Yahoshea Meshiyach appointed for his assembly was the baptism and the last supper memorial.  Such were the only recognized holy things to the Waldeneses.

The Waldeneses totally rejected the doctrine of substantiation of Roman Catholic in which the priest supposedly created Yahweh, by transmitting the elements of bread and wine into the body, blood and divinity of Yahoshea Meshiyach.

The Waldeneses article of faith number 10 stated as follows: “we have always accounted as an unspeakable abomination before Yahweh, all these and inventions of men, namely, the feasts and the vigils of saints, the wafer which they call holy, as likewise to abstain from flesh upon certain days and the like but especially their masses.”

The Waldeneses did not approve any sacrament ministered by a priest that does not belong to their fold.  Such sacrament was invalid to them.  The Waldeneses accused the Roman church of effecting evil doctrines and therefore cannot be adopted as a true church. So all ordinances administered by the Church of Rome were seen as invalid by the Waldeneses.

The Waldeneses claimed that they were the true successors of Yashoshea Meshiyach and his apostles because they observed both in word and deed the doctrine of Yahoshea and those of his apostles.

Therefore,  they rejected the mass officiated by Roman Catholic Church as they term it invalid.  They rejected the doctrine of offerings to the dead, they rejected  the doctrine of confession to the priests and neither receive absolution, they do not believe in purgatory nor pay money to get the souls of their friends released.

The Church Inquisitors persecuted them along these thoughts and beliefs as they  were tortured to death while persuaded to attend mass of Roman Catholic and observe all ordinance of the church.

The Waldeneses did not recognize Roman Church and its authority, did not agree to the worship of images and saints as observed by the Catholics.

Waldeneses were the famous sect that attacked virtually all doctrinal ordinances of Roman Church. They affirmed under inquisitors that the tradition of Roman church was not better than the traditions of Pharisees and that greater stress was laid on the observance of human tradition than on keeping of the law of Yahweh.  They only received what is written in the Old and New Testament and whatever preached that was not substantiated by the text of holy scriptures, they esteemed fables.

Majority of the added doctrines by the church after the ascension of Yahoshea were rejected by the Waldeneses  who believed in salvation by faith and not works.

As a separatist group, it engaged on doctrines that were totally uncatholic. For example, the decree against rebaptism was passed by Roman church in 413 but the Waldeneses rebaptized all of its members.  In those era, to be a separatist was punishable by being tortured  to death or otherwise hideously tortured after over a period of days before the sufferer was released by death.

The Waldeneses had to contend with Catholic authority of doctrine of celibacy.  They held that vow of celibacy was an invention of men and product of uncleanness. To them, the marriage of priest is both lawful and necessary.

Conclusion

Struggle against the Mother Church or Harlot of Babylon has been a standing war of the revivalists since ages and the blood of some of them were suck by the Harlot. By the content of the character of Waldeneses, they looked forward to serve Yahweh properly and be identified as true successors of apostles of Yahoshea but such value did not fit them adequately because they were victims of the contempt of Catholicism.

By the concept of mixture of natural inspirations and responsive establishments of Roman Empire, many doctrines of Yahoshea were deleted and replaced by the traditions of Rome.

At a point in history, the entire doctrines of Yahoshea Meshiyach got lost amongst brethren and been replaced by self made accliastical practices of Roman traditioners. So,  to withdraw from such web requires acts of a divine-sent person and that was reason of the promise of the comforter by Yahoshea Meshiyach.

Since Waldeneses and their related revivalists were not led by the appointed comforter, they were unable to sort out all the evils of the Roman Church and its daughters.

Although, Yahosheans of this era have a well regard for heroic efforts of Waldeneses who rejected some of the errors of the Catholic Church and paid dearly for such separatist ideology, but their best was not good enough to stand the test of the followers of Yahoshea Meshiyach.