Chapter 4: The Albigensian Attack [The Great Heresies]

EWTN ^ | 1938 | Hilaire Belloc

[Chaguito]

A serious question, where are you getting the homosexual stuff about the Albigensians?

I looked them up in the Catholic Encyclopedia and didn’t see any overt reference to buggery, homosexuality, or even a demand of the adherents to forego procreation (except the “perfect” ones).

Their heretical gnostic teaching was unquestionable. But all the discussion of rectum-ripping, etc. - where does this come from?

[Rashputin]

I'll have to go find the right reference. Basically, they thought reproduction was wrong and that sodomy was an acceptable way to avoid the sin of sexual contact that might result in conception.

How much followers moved towards embracing homosexual as well as bisexual behavior was news to me about three years ago when I read about it in a history not specifically focused on religious things. As I recall, it actually broached the subject by pointing out how women were reduced in status and subject to unwanted sex where the heresy took root. It's around here somewhere, but without sufficient shelf space it's in a box so I have to start by looking through my list of tiles that I boxed up. I probably have some links on the subject as well so I'll see what I can find and post the book title and/or links when I find it or figure out which book it is. I'll try and dig up what I have over the weekend.

Regards

[Chaguito]

Thanks. Don’t go much out of your way, I was just curious.

[Rashputin]

Ok. I do remember that it was about Eastern Europe, not even about France and the area normally associated with the heresy by most historians. Cathars and Albigensians supposedly became a single force in Bulgaria and regularly recommended sodomy with either sex as an alternative to reproduction and that's where the term, “buggery” evolved from. There was a good bit more than that tidbit on the subject, that just sticks in my mind having worked with Scots and Brits on a few projects and heard the term many a time. I'm not sure the two different groups are identical in Western Europe now that I think about it, but apparently they were in other parts of Europe.

[Chaguito]

Roger.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

The Cathars in Bulgaria and also in Bosnia were called the Bogomils. These folks were the Europeans who actually converted to Islam after the Ottoman conquest. They were more susceptible because both the Catholics and the Orthodox persecuted them. The same thing happened in the area of Egypt and Syria about 600 years earlier. many of the Christians there were Monophysites and were persecuted by the unified Church and were less resistant to the conquering Arabs.

[Rashputin]

Ahhh, thanks. Bosnia rings a bell and might help me dig out what I'm looking for.

Regards

[spyone]

Everything quoted on this thread regarding the Cathars is from the spew of hate from Irenius of Lyons. Total bull, and anti-historical. If you ask 98% of Catholics their view on the nature of Jesus, they will all turn out to be Arians and therefore heretics. And yet, they can read this drivel article from a guy who was considered a quack in 1900, and happily agree it was a good thing the Albigensian’s were exterminated. What a disgrace. What bufoons.