The Rise of the Cathars
The Cathar movement arose during the 12th century in the regions of Languedoc and Occitania in southern France, as well as parts of northern Italy and Catalonia. At the time, Christianity was dominated by the Roman Catholic Church, which controlled not only the spiritual lives of the people but also much of the political structure of medieval Europe. However, many people in southern France began to grow disillusioned with the wealth and corruption of the Catholic clergy, as well as with its teachings, which they felt were not true to the spirit of Christ’s message.
The Cathars, also known as the Albigensians (after the city of Albi in southern France, which was a major center of their movement), believed in a dualistic worldview. They saw the material world as the creation of an evil god and the spiritual world as the domain of a good god. This belief system made the Cathars anathema to the Catholic Church, which taught that God was the creator of both the spiritual and material worlds.
Catharism was a complex religious system that drew on a variety of sources, including Gnosticism, Manichaeism, and other early Christian heresies. The Cathars believed that the soul could only be saved by renouncing the material world and living a life of purity. They practiced asceticism, rejected the sacraments of the Catholic Church, and placed a strong emphasis on the teachings of their own clergy, known as the "Perfects." These Perfects led simple, holy lives and were revered by their followers, who sought spiritual guidance from them. shutdown123