by Jean-Jacques COURTEY, Doctor in Economic Geography, Ph. D
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We will treat this subject under one of our mascot series, "Just science-fiction", because it is involving in some respects Science-fiction, and not only Religion !
We wish you a good reading : you might be amazed to rediscover a part of our history, in a different angle...and new openings !
We let you discover our new article, announcing in advance that our conclusion will surprise you totally !
Geographically, in 1167 when the bogomile Bishop Niquinta (Nicetas from Constantinople) came most likely to Saint-Félix-de-Caraman - presently Saint-Félix-Lauragais in Haute-Garonne -, other Cathar representatives came too from Lille area, Germany, Switzerland, Lyon, the South of France, Italy, Bosnia, Bulgaria... !
The greatest secret of Cathars is not their supposed treasure (often strangely confused with the one of Templars) : it is certainly their true origin, their "mirror" origin in relation to Catholicism, hence our puzzling title !
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Catharism is in some way a misunderstood belief. Already its name is a nickname given by the Catholic Church. Was it a derision at the beginning, with a word derived from cat, or on the contrary a description of the demanding attitude of its members, "bonshommes et bonnes femmes", concerning the purity and the necessary humility of the Clergy ? As a matter of fact, Cathar could mean "Purifier". Cathars wanted to give back to Christianity its original meaning, which was related to the Spirit, and not to the Matter. The attitude of two Kings of France, both called Philip, towards Cathars may appear nowadays as quite singular - at least if we consider the question. We can even wonder if things about Catharism aren't still hidden from us today. Even nowadays, it is extremely complicated to grasp this form of belief, that recognizes Jesus-Christ while attributing him a role somewhat different from the majority belief. Some specialists, in search of an original point of view may be, tend to deny a little quickly the Manichean side of this religion. But the fact is that it was clearly based upon the "Book of the two principles" ("Liber de duobus principiis"). And the fundamental opposition between a good God and an evil God from the same family, is still central, and in a way rather similar to what exists in the teachings of the famous Zarathustra : "he who doesn't impose on others what is not good for himself, that one alone is noble and bright !" The evil God is the God of Flesh and Matter (opposed to the God of the Spirit), and he is reigning on Earth as the Prince of this World. They refused marriage because it was straightly connected to Flesh. So, they would certainly be happy to see that in today's France, the number of unmarried couples is now superior to the one of the married couples - and that in a society where Vegetarianism, another of their points, is expanding (through Veganism) !
But, the most complicated topic of the Cathar faith is that of Redemption : Jesus Christ would have come to Earth to allow it, but it would concern first and foremost Fallen Angels and their offsprings - before ordinary human beings. We underline it, because it's almost never put forward in the studies on Catharism, focused essentially on the aspect of institutional opposition to the Catholic Church...while having paradoxically a rather similar organization in bishoprics. And that's why they were called heretics ! In some respects, Catharism could appear as an esoteric Christianism, in quest of purity, with a return to the sources. The "bonshommes" ("good men") and the "bonnes femmes" ("good women") as they were calling themselves, were directed by the "Parfaits" ("Perfects"), their sacerdotal class which had received the "Consolamentum" : the sacrament of "Consolation" by imposition of hands on the forehead (without water, but not necessarily without holy oil) in the only name of Jesus-Christ - which had developed from the middle of XII th century. In fact, most of them were "flexitarian" and rather free and equal, including women, the vegetarian diet with fish and abstinence being the obligations of the "Parfaits" ("Perfects") alone in reality. In the South of France and elsewhere, their simpler and more relaxed way of life could easily appeal to their Catholic coreligionists. Many liked them in reality, and they lived in osmosis. Then, this is explaining why so many Catholics defended them ardently, and without hesitation, against the brutal and greedy invaders from the North of France !
Philip II Augustus (1165 - 1223) did everything to combat the idea of a crusade against the Cathars in the South of France, which was hovering in the air. But, he had finally to bow to the Pope, from 1208. However, he forbade any noble of high lineage to participate to such an awful thing. Philip II had participated to the Third Crusade in the Holy Land (1189 - 1192). And he had kept a terrible memory about it. Sometimes, he was having nighmares about what he had seen over there. The doctrinal quarrels about Religion were making him tired. He tended to see the Cathars as cooler and more playful Christians. They were joyously living their lives and it didn't bother him personally. And the last thing he was wishing was to subject his Kingdom to such an horror, under the vain pretext of religion. That's why this crusade was led in 1209 by an obscure little nobleman of Paris area, called Simon de Montfort (c. 1170 - 1218). The latter was finally unlucky in this crusade, and died in Toulouse during its siege on June 25th, 1218. He was hit at the head by a big stone thrown by a pierrier woman : his helmet and his head exploded literally. Was it a punishment of God for his crualty and rapacity ? Still nowadays, some historians wonder why Philip II didn't associate to his throne his first son, Louis (1187 - 1226) - the future Louis VIII the Lion -, like his Capetian ancestors did ? In fact, it was not an oversight : it was deliberate. He had changed his mind about his eldest son, Louis. He didn't want him anymore to be King of France after his death, because the latter was in favour of this Crusade against the "Albigensians" (Cathars). Incidentaly, in 1218 he had sent Louis, his very insisting son, to replace the despised Simon de Monfort in the siege of Toulouse - but only for a matter of suzerainty and nothing else. Deep down, he was persuaded he would fail like he had done in England (in 1217)...and it happened. In any case, if he had stayed in Paris with him, he would have been unbearable. And since the Capetian Monarchy was still elective until his death on July 14th, 1223, he wanted the Assembly of the Grands of the Kingdom to designate his second son Philip (1200 - 1234). But this didn't happen, and the Capetian Monarchy became hereditary instead on that very day of July 14th, 1223 !
About Philip IV the Fair (1268 - 1314), who was though known to be strict in religious matters, he welcomed Guillaume de Nogaret ("Guilhem" from his Occitan and Cathar original name - c. 1260 - 1313), into his Private Council : this "Iron King" even made him one of his chief ministers in 1307. They entered in contact the first time in 1293, for a complicated question of territorial demarcation in the area of Montpellier, where he was able to appreciate his subtlety. Strangely this is a bit echoing to the difficult question of territorial demarcation between the Cathar bishoprics of Toulouse and Carcassès, regulated by the demarcation protocol of the bogomile bishop "Niquinta"(or Nicetas) in 1167 : this one happened in Saint-Félix-de-Caraman (renamed Saint-Félix-Lauragais in 1921), the very place "Guilhem" was born. Guillaume de Nogaret's lilting accent succeeded in relaxing the King. And he was the only one at Court to achieve such a feat. Yet, at the epoch of Philip IV, Cathars had almost entirely disappeared, except Guilhem Bélibaste (c. 1280 - 1321) who had taken refuge in Northern Italy. But, the French King wasn't at all after him. In fact, his personal Advisor, the Knight Guillaume de Nogaret was fighting personally with the Pope Boniface VIII (between 1217 and 1230 - 1303) at a distance first : it's him who encouraged Philip IV to tax Clergy and especially High Clergy in 1301. He even fought physically with the Pope during the attack of Anagni, near Roma (from 7 to 9 September 1303), which led to the Pope's death one month after. The latter had even called him "Patarin"(a vocable meaning "Cathar", in reference to the Pater Noster, their essential prayer) : thus, he clearly accused him to be a hidden Cathar. Besides, Nogaret hated Templars (the ones who had laughed at the public exhumation and burning of the bodies of his Cathar grandparents, when he was a small boy in Saint-Félix). Thus, his hatred of the Papacy and its militia, the Knights Templar, was coming from his childhood trauma : he and his family had been publicly humiliated and had lost everything, including their original title of nobility. That's why they had moved to Montpellier area. And it's precisely Philip the Fair who had restored him in all his rights. As Guillaume de Nogaret showed when serving this strong King of France from 1293-1295, a Cathar outburst even episodic, can be surprising and leave traces in History. Papacy was brought from Roma to Avignon in 1309 (till 1378). And no malediction of 1314 from the last Grand Master of Templars, Jacques de Molay (between 1244 and 1246 - 1314) could have reached him, as he had already died quietly in 1313, with the conviction of having rendered justice to the Cathars - officially disappeared !
In conclusion, we will say that Catharism has something to do with psycho-genealogy and Cosmos. It is basically a belief in the redemption - or more precisely the saving - of "Fallen Angels" and their offsprings, primarily to the one of ordinary human beings. "Fallen Angels" were called this way because they had fallen from the Sky, that's all. And they were actually more numerous than 200. The reference to a celestial accident leaving on Earth a lost battalion of Aliens is strangely echoing what said "Airl", the Andromedan female pilot and engineer interrogated on Roswell base in July 1947, after her accident of flying saucer with a J. rod (a Zeta) caused by lightning. She said that we ignore and misunderstand totally our real History. And she explained that the main role of the rare great awakened beings on Earth, was to find and help this battalion of 3000 lost souls to come back to the "Domain" (involving Andromeda) !
Airl warned Earthlings against bad scientists and their unfounded religion of Matter. She informed Earth of the unrivaled forces of the Domain she was an Officer. And finally, she didn't see the point of signing the telepathic transcriptions of her kind Catholic nurse, Matilda O'Donnell MacElroy : to her Matilda, who happened to be in fact a recovered one of the 3000 lost, was totally reliable. At this stage, both of them were over suddenly assaulted by military men and scientists. And Airl's frail body was submitted to electric shocks...before succumbing quickly to bad treatments, while Matilda was administered Pentothal. But Airl's soul could escape those soulless scientists !
In a way, it was the same for Cathars who were burnt alive, usually after torture by Inquisition : they were freed from Earth, seen as a jail-planet of Matter. Yet, they themselves were non-violent and peaceful...if not provoked. They used the famous truncated formula, "if you hit me on the left cheek, I will stick my right cheek" (derived from Saint Matthew, 5-39), while adding the missing section of Jesus Christ : "but I don't tell you what I do with my feet". As a matter of fact, they didn't regard at all the Gospel according to Saint Matthew as authentic, and rather practiced an active (or reactive) Christianity !
Historically, it's the murder of the cistercian legate of the Pope and first Inquisitor, Pierre de Castelnau (1170- 1208) near Saint-Gilles du Gard on January 15th, 1208, which provoked the Crusade the year after. He was killed possibly by the spear of an Officer of the Count of Toulouse, Raymond VI (1156 -1222). The latter had just been excommunicated on the eve, after his violent altercation with the legate and his refusal to fight the "heresy" : he didn't want to have to combat his own subjects ! Philip II Augustus was obliged to let the Pope acting in France from 1209, with his Crusade against Cathars. But he refused to participate to it. He was unfavourable to this fight of Christians against other Christians a little different. Béziers was ransacked, and all the population massacred, Cathars and Catholics as well, on July 22th, 1209. It was more looking like a Crusade against the South ("le Midi") in reality. But it was just the beginning...till the fall of Montségur on March 16th, 1244, with the burning of more than 200 Cathars !
The remaining Cathars were hiding to escape from the Inquisition, specially set up for them from 1199, by Pope Innocent III (1160 - 1216). And in 1321, there was only one "Parfait" ("Perfect") left in France, Guilhem Bélibaste, who was both a Bishop and a Prophet as it seems. Back to France, he had been betrayed by his friend Arnaud Sicre, a Cathar too and not a Southern Catholic. But we don't know if his prophecy about the future resurrection of the Lilies and Catharism, on the day he was burnt alive - August 24th, 1321 - in the Castle of Villerouge-Termenès (in the department of Aude, France currently), will happen in 2025 ?
The Crusade against Cathars is also recalling the combat between two big areas of influence inside France, connected to two different languages : the language of Oïl above the Loire River, and the language of Oc ("langue d'oc") below with the rich Occitan civilization. Cathars were bearers of a vigorous impulse of freedom and freshness, which Catholics can also carry through their faith found and vivified today, in a rather unfavourable environment. The wall of incomprehension which was established between Guilhem de Nogaret, the hidden vengeful Cathar, and Templars peculiarly, didn't come originally from their beliefs which were rather close - especially with their only accepted Gospel, the Gospel according to Saint John -, but from the most elementary psychology of childhood. About the various studies about the Cathars, it is always strange to discover that some specialists do not understand anything about Religion and Faith, whatsoever !
As a matter of fact, nowadays some studies about the Cathars are marked by atheism, which complicates their understanding : were they Dualist or not, ordinary Christians or not, and Gnostic or not, with their reference to Barbèlô, the Celestial mother who engendered Jesus-Christ ? Even the Inquisitors, yet not nice at all, never put in question the fact Cathars were believing in a way in Jesus-Christ and in the same good God as the Catholics, yet seen differently : that's why, they called them heretics. Obviously, they didn't adhere at all to their philosophy of life, but they never found it inconceivable. And they never cut it either into slices !
It is remarkable that since 1810, the Royalist push against Napoléon I (1769 - 1821) had been made from Toulouse and Bordeaux with the "Knights of the Faith", and supported by Montpellier (capital of Languedoc), Avignon, Lyon, and Lille - so then from previous areas of Cathar influence. About Montpellier, it has to be quoted that Guillaume de Nogaret has studied law over there at the highest level, and equally that Nostradamus (1503 - 1566) became a Doctor in Medicine in the same town !
On September 23rd, 2016, the Roman Catholic Church unexpectedly apologized in Roma for the Slaughter of Cathars, through the voice of Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger - 1927 - 2022) : he recognized it was a big mistake. And on October 17th, 2016, equally, the Bishop of Pamiers asked for pardon in the name of the Catholic church in the church of Montségur (Ariège). What a strange U-turn of history ? If it's really the Pope Sergius II (844 - 847) who has created Catharism during his short reign to regenerate the Christian Faith, it would have been better to inform the Roman Curia ! Will the Cathar rebirth very paradoxically be accompanied, by a surprising renewal of the Catholic faith in parallel then, within the framework of a healthy secularism ? Will finally the Catholic Church, more broad minded or more aware today, be that invigorating source driven by Jesus-Christ, in a France with reblooming paths, marked by one of the greatest bounces in History ? And at the end, will an unexpected Joy succeed to Bitterness ?
In this "Holy Year", will the enemies of yesterday reconcile at the end, by being aware of the burdens of Atheism, that deny them both with disdain ? The ways of the Lord being impenetrable, is there going to be a strange and miraculous ecumenical leap in this regard : a strong wind from "Autan" ? As a matter of fact, Atheism was inconceivable for Cathars, as for Catholics. On June 1st, 1980, in Le Bourget (near Paris), Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla - 1920 - 2005) asked : "France, eldest daughter of the Church, are you faithful to the promises of your baptism ?" And it is known that an atheist, when he is at the dawn of his death, panics verily, and finds again the paths of faith for fear of sinking into the great void like a small thing. Yet, a joyful fervor accompanying a vibrant faith, in a renewed fraternal impulse that abolishes distinctions, can overcome everything. This is how we have understood the beautiful universal message of the current Pope, Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born in 1936 in Buenos Aires - Argentina), when he came to Ajaccio - Corsica, France - on December 15th, 2024 !
