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Cathars

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Work in progress Chapters to be added: 'Cathar belief system', 'Geopolitical context'...

Objective of this Project

The objectives of this project are...

To connect the major actors around the Cathar movement and the ensuing inquisition across regional boundaries - and thus to gain better insight into a phenomenon that had significant consequences for the political shape of modern Spain and France.
To provide entry points for genealogists, by providing lists of cathar noblemen and commoners who were well documented ('thanks' to the inquisition).

Background

The Cathars were a Christian religious movement with dualistic and gnostic elements that appeared in the Languedoc region of France and other parts of Europe in the 11th century and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. Catharism had its roots in the Paulician movement in Armenia and the Bogomils of Bulgaria which took influences from the Paulicians. The political and religious power came to an end after a serious of succesful catholic 'crusades' and the siege and surrender of the castle of Quéribus in 1255.

What is a 'Cathar'?

Cathars are often called 'albigensians', because the first cathar diocese was established at Albi. Also, the Inquisition called it's campaign against the Cathars as the 'albigensian crusades'. However, Albi is at the northernmost tip of cathar 'territory'. Its spread and strength was largely south of Albi, around Toulouse and Carcassonne and well into the central pyrenean mountains.

Though the term "Cathar" has been used for centuries to identify the movement, whether the movement self-identified itself with this name is debatable. In Cathar texts, the terms "Good Men" (Bons Hommes) or "Good Christians" are the common terms of self-identification.

The Cathars did not recognize the formal hierarchy of the predominant catholic church, basically because the bible makes no reference to popes, priests... However, the bible does refer to the term 'episcopos', which is why the cathar hierarchy has bishops. The role of bishops can be assimilated with that of an 'apostle'; bishops are independent from one another and mutually recognize the boundaries of their authority. In this, they are assisted by deacons. Church councils in the cathar dioceses would also appoint 'divisores' who would observe the respect for the boundaries of the dioceses.

In essence, the cathar hierarchy can be structured in four levels:

Bishops
Deacons
Perfecti (preachers)
Credentes (believers)

Cathar 'perfecti' were the equivalent of 'preachers' and gained their status through the consolamentum (cathar baptism). Both men and women could be 'perfecti'. The term 'perfecti' was coined by the Inquisition, which considered a cathar priest as a hereticus perfectus - a perfect heretic. Cathar preachers called themselves 'good men'.

Cathar Dioceses

Though the Cathar belief system was spreading in Southern France since early to mid 11th century, it is only in 1167 at the council of Cathar churches in Saint Félix de Lauragais that the first Cathar bishops were elected.

Nicetas, bishop of Constantinople (who himself had received the consolamentum from Simon, bishop of Dragovitia) traveled to Saint Félix with Marco, bishop of Lombardia. Nicetas would given the consolamentum to Marco, and to the first biships of Languedoc and France. At the same time, this formalized the dioceses and their boundaries.

Diocese of Agen

Raimon de Casals, bishop from 1167

Diocese of Albi

(seat in Lombers)

Sicard Cellarerius, bishop from 1167
Oliver
Aimery du Collet (escaped in exile to Lombardia in 1250)

Diocese of Carcassonne

(seat in Lauragais, from 1223 in Cabarets)

Giraud Mercier, bishop from 1167
Bernat de Simorre
Pèire Isarn, bishop from 1223-1226
Pèire Pollan, bishop 1240-1258

Diocese of Razès

Benet de Tèrme, bishop 1225
Raimon Aguilher, bishop xxxx-1244 (died 16/3/1244 at Montségur)

Diocese of Toulouse

(seat in La Vaur)

Bernat Raimon, bishop from 1167
Gaucelm
Guilhabert de Castres, bishop from 1226-1240
Bertran d'En Marti, bishop from 1240-1244 (died at Montségur - March 16, 1244)
Arnau Roger
Vivent
Bernat Olieu

Diocese of the French

(Seat in Mont Aimé en Champagne)

Robert d'Epernon, bishop from 1167

List of Deacons

Arnaud Arrufat
Guilhabert de Castres, archdeacon of Fanjeaux
Isarn de Castres, deacon of Laurac
Benet de Tèrme,deacon of Limoux
Guilhem Clergues
Pere Cortona, deacon of Catalunya (under the diocese of Toulouse), 1216
Raimon del Mas
Guilhem Dejean (died at Montségur - March 16, 1244)
Arnaud Huc, deacon of Vielmur
Ponç Jordà, deacon of Verfeuil
Arnaud Ot, deacon of Cabaret
Bernat Ot
Pèire Paraire, deacon of Fenolledes (around 1245)
Guilhem Ricard, deacon of Avignon
Raimon de Saint Martin (died at Montségur - March 16, 1244)

List of Divisores in Languedoc

Toulouse

Bernat Ramon, 1167
Guilhem Garcias, 1167
Ermengaud de Forest, 1167
Raimon de Baimiac, 1167
Guilabert de Bonvilar, 1167
Bernat Contor, 1167
Bernat Guillem Bonneville, 1167
Bertran d'Avognonet, 1167
Raimon Mercier

Carcassonne

Guiraud Mercier, 1167
Bernat Cathala, 1167
Grégoire Caldemas, 1167
Pèire Caldemas, 1167
Raimon Pons, 1167
Bertran de Molino, 1167
Marti de la Sala, 1167
Marti Guibert, 1167

Italian Dioceses

Though independent from the Languedoc dioceses, the dioceses in Northern italy are noteworthy as they provided shelter and help to refugees from Languedoc during the inquisition.

Bishops of Concorezzo: Narazius; Petraccio
Bishops of Bagnolo: ...
Bishops of Decenzano: Gianni di Lugio
Bishops of Lombardia: Marco; Giovanni Giudeo
Bishops of Mantua:...
Bishops of Vicenza:...

Cathar Perfecti

Also see Cathar Credentes.

Cathar believers who received the consolamentum. Also called...

'Perfects' or 'Good Men' (English)
'Parfaits' or 'Bons Hommes' (French)
'Perfieches' or 'Bons Omes' (Occitan)
'Perfectes' or 'Bons Homes' (Catalan)

Cathar Credentes

See Cathar Credentes.

Cathar Patrons