Albigenses

This was a Neo – Manicheanian sect that existed at Southern France in fifth and thirteenth centuries Ad. The name Albigenses was driven from Albi – a city in Southern France and as people that seriously operate there, they were called the Albigenses at the Council of Tours in 1163.

Albigenses became identical name for all schismatics that operate from the Southern France.  The sect is termed as a branch of Catharist group.

As a dualistic heretic, the faith spread like wide fire at that territory for many reasons.  Christianity, Jewish an Muslimism had the doctrine of existency of two forces in their religious syllabus. This already made knowledge helped to spread the doctrine of Albigenses that centered on dualism.

Another reason that helped to promote Albigenses was the issue of religious contempt of Catholic clergy.  The Catholic clergy were hooked under the wheel of scandalous lifestyle, they have much regard and protection of the nobility and the blundering of sacularism  with religious intends.

Practices Of The Sect

The Albigenses doctrine focused on two mutually opposed principles - One being good and other being evil.  By historic records, the mixture of Christianity with oriental religions produced several sects as Gnostics, Manicheism, Paulicianism etc.

Albigenses can be termed as one of such groups that existed in the middle ages.  It is alleged that neo-Manichean thought was brought into Southern – France by a woman from Italy.  The thought secretly existed for several years and later flourished at city of Toulouse.

Albigenses was practically heretic and the church of Rome entirely saw it in that way of Manicheism of early centuries. The existence of dual forces and their operations was the pillar of their belief.

According to the heresy, the evil principle is the source of all evil.  The holder or sustainers of natural phenomena that work in ordinary way like the growth of plants and extraordinary way in form of natural disasters.  They believe that moral disorder originated from the force of evil.  This principle of evil created human body and was the originator of sin which springs from the flesh.

The Albigenses subscribe that Old Testament actors must either be part or entirely of that evil principle.  The Albigenses heresy posted  that the New Testament is the revelation of the beneficent creator who created human soul which the bad principle imprisoned in the natural bodies after deceiving them to leave the kingdom of light.

Views On Salvation

The Albigenses held that earth is an abode of punishment but that each soul must eventually be liberated.  To accomplish the deliveranace of all souls, Yahweh sent Yahoshea Meshiyach who although was very perfect in spirit but was made a creature.

The Albigenses described Yahoshea as a person with celestial body because if he took the human body, he should have pass through the control of the evil principle.  They held that by his celestial body, he was able to penetrate the ears of Mary – his earthly mother.  The Albigenses were of the belief that Yahoshea’s redemption was not operative but instructive and to enjoy such benefit, one must become an Albigenses which they viewed as the true assembly of Yahoshea Meshiyach.

By the variety of different doctrines from Catholic church, Albigenses saw itself as a separate sect out of Christendom.  For such reason, it does not see the Catholic sacraments as valid rather they regard the ceremonies of  Albigenses which they term as “consolation” to purify souls from sins and ensures their return to heaven.

The Albigenses rejected the belief of resurrection of human bodies since they conclude that human bodies are entirely evil in nature.  They believe that man is a living contradiction and ability  to free the soul from the flesh is the ultimate aim of salvation.

To quicken destruction of human flesh, the sect prescribed suicide in form of tarried fasts and starvation. They equally believe the generational geneology  enhances slavery of the soul to the body. For such affect, the remedy is non-believe in matrimonial lifestyle. Rather, cocumbinism was encouraged, abondement of wives and husbands were equally desirable.  They equally abstain from eating of animal flesh (meat) but enjoys eating of fish.

Polity And Structure

Organizationally, the sect was made up of two sets of members. The group consist of the perfects and mere believers.  The perfects were those who have submitted themselves to initiation rites while the mere believers were tirelessly moving towards the initiation which they viewed as their ultimate search in lifetime.

Some believers might not receive the initiation after many years of membership but may receive the initiation at their death bed. 

The sect had a hierarchy of bishops and deacons.  The bishops were chosen amongst the perfects.

Opposition And Demise Of The Group

The separatist nature of Albigenses earned them the wrath of Catholic Church.  To handle the heresy called Albigenses, the Catholic Church used many peaceful measures to address the matter but all failed.

The church convened many councils to track down the heresy and when peaceful persuasions failed the church used emmense force to destroy the sect.

In 1119, the Council of Toulouse was convocted which condemned the Albigenses but such did not stop the heresy, Pope Eugene 111 sent legates to the Albigenses for peaceful resolution of the differences but such did not yield positive result as the heresy continued to spread.

The Council of Tours, the decree was raised that Albigenses would be imprisoned and their properties forfeited.  Despite these efforts of Roman Catholic to destroy the sect, it had its famous general Council at Toulouse which was viewed as its chief centre of activities.

The general of Council of the Lateran (1179) ended with renewed edicts to apply additional tough measures and even to use force against the heretics.

In 1194, the Catholic Council of Toulouse died and was succeeded by Raymond IV who was sympathetic to the Albigenses.  As the sect kept  spreading, the Pope innocent III called on king of France to use force against the sect.

The church raised crusaders (a militant force) to invade Toulouse and eventually brought the Albigenses into submission and destruction. 

In the war or crusade that was named “Albigenses Crudade,” many Albigenses were freely slaughtered and the city of Albi devastated and such brought the end to Albigenses.

Conclusions

Albigenses like other Schismatic sects  remain in historic records as one of the dissenting sects from Roman Catholic ecliastical authority for duration of few centuries.

Although, the sect confronted the Papacy and the Church of Rome, it was entirely heretic even more than the Church it tend to correct.

The existence of Albigenses was not only threat to Christianity but equally targeted at extinction of human race.

Albigenses main target was at redemption of humanity from the religious ambiguity of the Catholic church but it did not fit into the mole of the true sect that succeed Yahoshea Meshiyach and his assembly.

As they spoke  disrespectively against Yahweh's ordinances that are embodied in the Old Testament, they were heretic and evil in the manner of Manichaeism.  It was never meant for redemption of humanity as it claimed.