Now the language of Provence owes more to Aragon than to muddy Parisian streets. And so these provincial Franks speaking almost like Spaniards, isolated, corrupted by the seductive music of ardent misbelievers, corrupted Catholic belief, threatened Catholic unity. For is not apostasy a presumption that contradicts Holy Scripture? Can it not be demonstrated of apostates, Jews, and lepers, that all copulate voraciously, that from their bodies emanates a fearful stench, that all cherish links to the Devil? With what sweet grace and strength did that noble lady Gormonda de Montpellier defend the Christian faith. Truly did she sing. A Saracen heart is far less false than that of a heretic. Whoever would earn salvation should march against the infidels of France. Guillem Figueira merited torture and death for slandering the Holy Church.
Dissenters clustered about the town of Albi, for which reason they acquired that name. Albigenses. Much was quickly established concerning their ungodly dogma. Lucifer was perhaps a son of God, said they, and highest among angels. Yet he grew stiff with pride, descending from the spirit realm to create this visible world. Man and woman did Lucifer make from clay, albeit the wretched creatures had no soul until our Lord God took pity on them. And the woman lured the man to lie with her and from that moment their souls were caught within their flesh. Lord Jesus, said they, is but a vain illusion who did not suffer on the cross. We do not venerate the cross, said they, because it is evil as are all things material. What truths the Lord revealed have been falsified, said they, and misinterpreted by the Church, which is but some handiwork of Lucifer.
Nor was this enough. Albigenses would have none of the sacrament. Further, they maintained a sacerdotal college whose initiates essayed to slip the bonds of temporal life and so believed themselves pure, Cathari, which in Greek means purity. Nevertheless they celebrated unspeakable rites, defiled chalices under the approving gaze of bishops out of disrespect to the body and blood of Christ, such depravities being recorded. Nor did these Albigenses practice in secret but preached widely, persuading fools to conform, which is abominable. No theologian had they, no counselor, no text, therefore the strangeness of such malpractice could not be understood. Domingo de Guzmán, who would in time be venerated as Santo Domingo, disputed with some heretic claiming that the Holy Church is Babylon, mother of fornication, drunk on the blood of martyrs. Why should not fiery death reward those who imperil the salvation of others? Only through belief in eternal truths taught by the Church shall men be saved, only by accepting the sacrament. Therefore much happiness is not to be expected. Only through submission may one anticipate the blessed life. Only thus shall men tread the path to redemption. Whosoever would deny this, who would repudiate the sacrament, he is anathema, a weak and vain murderer who would slay the immortal soul.
Wicked peasants at Bucy-le-Long called mouths of priests the mouth of hell. Heretic discourse they called the word of God. That divine dispensation we are granted they called delusion. Baptism of children below the age of understanding they considered void. If ever they took the sacrament to disguise their misbelief, no more would they eat that day. By candlelight they gathered in cellars and a young woman exposed her buttocks. So they would offer candles to her ass. And with light extinguished they copulated madly in darkness, men upon men, women upon women. Chaos! they would shout. Chaos! Chaos!
His Holiness Innocent, grieved by the spread of devilish liturgy, issued interdicts against princes that favored it. In a letter to King Philip Augustus he wrote that heretics were more threatening than Saracens, for certainly it is wiser to defend the faith at home than oversea. And is not failure to combat heterodoxy as wicked as the sin itself? He urged King Philip to lead an army south, pointing out that crusaders stood more to gain than spiritual benefit since they might expropriate the land and goods of occidental barons who tolerate ungodliness.
He directed his legate, Pierre de Castelnau, to go and confront Count Raymond VI of Toulouse. All knew how Raymond indulged and patronized recreant Albigenses. All knew he wallowed in luxury, engaged at incest with his sister, seduced the mistresses of his father, and had five wives. It is said he listened avidly to the chansons of Raimon de Miravel on the art of seduction. He mocked the Old Testament, invited the bishop of Toulouse to hear Cathari preach at midnight, withheld punishment from one who urinated on the altar, attributed creation of the world to Satan, kept at his side a heretic priest to administer the consolamentum if he should fall ill. It was alleged that like Saracens he believed in portents derived from the flight and cries of birds. If all such charges might be proven, God knows. They were so avouched by the Cistercian, Pierre of Vaux-de-Cernay. Should these prove inadequate, it could be shown that misbelievers practiced their unspeakable faith with impunity in twenty-six towns of Count Raymond’s private demesne.
His Holiness chafed at news of infidelity in Languedoc. Papal documents refer to the Lord’s flock menaced by wolves, plague, malignant canker. He would attend to it himself, charged with the sword of God, but could not, since he would need a month to journey from Rome to southern France. Therefore he must rely on legates. Through excommunication and interdict they might enforce his
