Of the Mandate of Pope Urban the Fourth Against the Waldenses and Albigenses in…, in the Year 1262

Martyrs Mirror in Modern English

Thirteenth Century

Of the Mandate of Pope Urban the Fourth Against the Waldenses and Albigenses in…, in the Year 1262

OF THE MANDATE OF POPE URBAN THE FOURTH AGAINST THE WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES IN LOMBARDY AND AROUND GENOA, IN THE YEAR 1262

The distress among the believers spoken of above continued on through the severe inquisition begun eleven years before, namely, in the year 1251. For although the first inquisitors had departed this life, as by the vengeance of God, it did not stop there, since Pope Urban the Fourth took up the pen to issue bloody edicts against the orthodox Waldenses and Albigenses, who were scattered abroad in all parts. He had these decrees proclaimed to his minions, who bore the name of ecclesiastics. An ancient papist states this in the following words: In the year 1262, Pope Urban the Fourth made an ordinance against the heretics in Lombardy and in the margravate of Genoa, and sent a copy of it to the order of the Dominicans in those parts, to persecute the Waldenses and Albigenses, who were mostly scattered there. Bzov., in the year 1262, Article 3, ex Decret. Epist. Alex. 4. Also, A. M., Hist., folio 470, column 2.

After this, as it appears, no small persecution arose. But as to the manner in which it took place, and the persons who then suffered for the faith, we have not been able to find any account, though we have made diligent search. No doubt it fell chiefly upon the heads of the Waldenses and Albigenses, since they were mentioned by name in the mandate of the pope.

We consider what we have shown here enough for this time, and so we will leave it, without adding any more.

NOTE. In the year 1270, eight years afterward, Peter Caderita and William Colonicus, Dominicans, persecuted the (so-called) heretics in the kingdom of Aragon. Bzov., in the year 1270, ex Surita, book 2. A. Mell., Hist., folio 470, column 2.

In the year 1280, the moon was completely changed into the color of blood. Many held this to signify the very bloody and lamentable state of the church of God, the more so since at that time not only did a dire persecution prevail, but also a destructive crusade, under the sign of the cross, such as had formerly been waged against the Saracens, was undertaken the following year, namely, 1281, by the papists, by order of the pope, against the Albigenses in Spain. Compare the large book of Christian martyrs, folio 470, columns 2 and 3, with Bal., Century 4, in the Appendix to Greg. de Brid. Lington., page 446, from Everildenas.