One Hundred and Eighty Persons Called Albigenses

In the year of our Lord 1210, a large sacrifice of believers called Perfecti, or Albigenses, took place near the castle Minerve. At one time about one hundred and eighty persons, men as well as women, who left the Roman antichrist and wanted to hold steadfastly to Jesus Christ and His divine truth, were publicly burned. Having commended their souls to God, they are now waiting for the crown and reward of the faithful.

As to the way in which this happened, various papist writers give this account: that the pope of Rome had a second crusade, or campaign, preached, in order to destroy the Albigenses with all his might wherever they might be hidden, promising forgiveness of sins, indeed eternal salvation, to all who in this campaign acquitted themselves well in murdering and burning the Waldenses.

In the meantime there were in the castle of Minerve very many Albigenses called Perfecti (perfect ones), who lived under the lord of the castle and were protected by him.

This castle, which stood on a high rock, was besieged by the legate of the pope and so hard pressed that its lord was finally forced by lack of water to surrender. The legate commanded that all who would not join the Roman church should be put to death.

Those inside, however (namely, the defenseless Albigenses), said: "We do not want to forsake our faith; we reject your Roman faith; your labor is in vain, for neither death nor life will make us depart from our faith." Such was the answer and the resolve of the men, who were all gathered together in one house. The abbot found the women, who were in another house, so courageous and undaunted that with all his fine words he could make no impression on them.

The count of Montfort then had them all (namely, these confessors) brought out of the castle, the men as well as the women, and having ordered a large fire to be kindled, he had them all thrown into it, one hundred and forty in number. All of them were burned alive, except three women, who fell away through weakness and escaped the fire. All the others who were in the castle (namely, the lord with his servants and soldiers, who had guarded the castle) complied with the will of the papal legate.

Peter Sarnensis, speaking of these people who were put to death, says that these hundred and forty martyrs were of the Albigenses called Perfecti, and adds that they would rather be burned alive than join the Roman church. In Hist. Albigens. Also, Ioh. Chassan., Hist. Albig., book 3, chapter 7, from Hist. Languedoc. [n428-1]

From the account of Robert of Auxerre, a strong papist who wrote at that time and, it seems, was an eyewitness of the steadfast death of these people, it appears that about forty more were burned than the writers named before have stated; which might well be the case, namely, that the first group confessed themselves to be of the same faith first, and the others afterward, and so were punished alike with death. He writes as follows: "In the year 1210 a great expedition was undertaken by our bishops, as well as by the lords and princes of the realm, and by the common people. This expedition was a very noted one, and was undertaken out of pure devotion, or by vow; partly through the zeal of faith kindled in the hearts of the believers (so he calls the papists), against the destroyers of the faith (so he calls the true Albigenses), and partly in order to earn the forgiveness of sins promised by the apostolic see (the Pope of Rome); so they marched with their assembled army to the castle of Minerve, which was a very strong place."

At last the besieged offered to surrender; but when it was proclaimed to all that those who would turn from their heresy would be left free and unmolested, about one hundred and eighty were found (namely, Albigenses) who would rather let themselves be burned alive than give up their heretical wickedness (so he calls their true faith).

Those who saw this, he writes, were astonished at the unyielding obstinacy of these miserable people, who would not listen to any wholesome admonitions (so he calls the fables of the papists), because their reason was struck down, and so they willingly hurried to the punishment of death. Rob. Aux. Chronol. Altiss., in the year 1210, compare with A. Mell., 2nd book, folio 454, column 2. [n428-2]