About 1102 a certain Benedictine Monk, Henry, was
expulsed from the Catholic Church. He then spent some time in Lausanne,
Switzerland, for which he also received the name “Henry of Lausanne.” From
about 1105-1148 this same Henry evangelized around Southern France, resulting
in converts and house churches. About that same time another evangelist, Peter
of Bruys, also preached throughout Southern France. Peter attracted the
attention of the Catholic Peter the Venerable, who wrote a tractate against
him. It appears that Peter of Bruys had a shorter ministry as he “was burned at
the stake by an angry mob” in St. Gilles, France, in 1126.
The churches that were
encouraged, revived, or founded by these men became known as the Cathar
churches (for Pure Ones, or Puritans, if you will) and also Albigensian
Churches, due to their prominence in the region around the French town of Albi.
In 1250 the Inquisitor Reinerius Saccho differentiated between 16 denominations
of these Cathars, in addition to the Poor Men of Lyons or Waldenses.
However, something very
unusual happened in 1167. In 1167 an Orthodox Bulgarian Bishop named Nicetas
traveled from Constantinople to Southern France to ordain six bishops at the
chateau of Saint-Felix-de-Carmanan. Four of the six bishops he ordained over
churches were later considered different denominations by Saccho: Church of
France, Church of Carcassone, Church of Toulouse, and the Church of Albi.
What is interesting is what
happened after these ordinations. The alarm of a non-Rome-approved Christian
Church within the boundaries of the former Western Roman Empire caused alarm to
the hierarchy of the Catholic church. This alarm was addressed in the 1178
Synod of Toulouse and the 1179 Third Lateran Council under Pope Alexander III.
The 27th section of this Council harshly rebuked the Cathars and put
them under the pain of anathema (the death penalty).
Then began the first
crusade against the Albigenses in 1181 when the Papal Legate Henry Abbott of
Clairveaux and his Catholic knights deposed the archbishop of Narbonne and laid
siege on the city of Lavaur, capturing it. This began a long series of crusades
against the Cathars in Southern France that continued until 1255.
Meanwhile another
evangelist, Peter Valdes, had the favor of Archbishop Guichard de Pontigny in
the Eastern French city of Lyons. However, when Guichard died in 1181 he was
replaced by Archbishop Jean de Bellesmains. Jean promptly excommunicated Valdo
and his followers from the Catholic Church. They then received the name Poor
Men of Lyons, and also, due to the name of their leader, Valdez, Valdo, or
Waldo, the Waldenses.
Now enter Durand of Osca.
Durand was a second-generation Waldensian leader, born in Huesca or Osca (of
Aragon) about 1160. In 1204, Durand took part in a debate in Pamiers, France,
against the Catholic Bishop of Osma, Diego. Becoming convinced of the benefits
of the Catholic system, Durand reconverted to Catholicism in 1207. Of
significance is that he founded a Lower Order in 1208, the Poor Catholics. While
his order did not last, three other Lower Orders soon followed his example: the
Franciscans of [St] Francis (1208-1209), the Poor Reconciled of “the first”
Bernard (1210), and the Dominicans of [St] Dominic (1215). It was this same
Bishop Diego who gave his blessing to Dominic to found the Dominicans. One focus of all four
Lower Orders was to combat the spread of heresy.
Below is the “Profession of
Durand d’Osca.” Several things are fascinating about this profession. First, it
expands the quote from Cyprian, “outside the Church there is no salvation,” by
adding the adjective “Roman” for the first time in confessional history. Second,
this confession is an example of the downward steps in Catholic theology that foreshadowed
the Protestant Reformation’s refocus on “Scriptures alone, faith alone, and
grace alone.” Third, it clearly portrays doctrines important to Catholic
leaders when seeking to reabsorb heretics or non-Catholics into their church.
As is noted below, Pope
Innocent III titled this profession, “The Example.” Therefore this profession
provides an example of the Catholic goals as they engage in ecumenical
discussion today. So it appears that the doctrinal convictions in the Profession of Durand of Osca provide endpoints for ecumenical conversations with Roman Catholics.
The Introductory note is from
a 2006 hard copy of Denzinger’s Symboles
and Definitions de la Foi Catholique. The Profession is also found online,
at the website in the notation. Both translations into English are mine.
790-797. Letter [of Pope
Innocent III] “Eius Exemplo [The
Example]” to the Archbishop of Tarragon, December 18, 1208.
This letter contains the
formulation of the profession of faith of Durand of Osca, or Huesca (Aragon), a
Waldensian returned to the Catholic Church in 1207. The formula is repeated in
a letter to the Archbishop of Tarragon and to his subordinates on May 12, 1210
(PL 216,274D), and in a slightly abbreviated form, in a letter of June 14, 1210
(PL 216,289C-293A; Potthast 4014) in which is proclaimed the conversion of the
Waldense Bernard Prim. The research of A. Dondaine and of J. Leclercq have
permitted to establish that already P. Valdes himself had taken a vow by an
analogous formulation during the Council of Lyons between 1179 and 1181 in the
presence of the Cardinal-Legat Henry, Bishop of Albano; this formulation (ed.
by A. Dondaine, ArchFrPr 16 [1946], 231s; K.-V. Selge, Die ersten Waldenser 2 [Berlin, 1967], 3-6) has without contest
served as the model for ulterior formulations.
Ed.: PL215,1510C-1513A
(Letters XI 196).—Reg.: Potthast 3571.
Text
of Profession (1208)
Letter
“Euis exemplo [The Example]” to the Archbishop of Tarragon, Dec 18, 1208.
The profession of faith prescribed to the Waldenses
790
May all believers know that I, Durant of Osca… and all our brothers, we believe
from our heart, we recognize by faith, we confess from our mouth and we affirm
by these simple words:
The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are three persons, one God only, and
all the Trinity is co-essential, consubstantial, coeternal, and all-powerful,
and each of the persons within the Trinity is fully God, as is contained in the
“I believe in God” [30 150 75]
We equally believe from our heart and confess with our mouth that the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God alone as we have spoken, created made,
governs and ordains all things corporate and spiritual, visible and invisible.
We believe that the author of the New and of the Old Testament is one and the
same: God who, as it is said, subsist in the Trinity, created all things from
nothing; and that John the Baptist was sent by him, holy and righteous, and
filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb of his mother.
791
We believe from our heart and we confess from our mouth that the incarnation
was not accomplished in the Father nor in the Holy Spirit, but only in the Son;
in such a way that he who was the divine Son of God the Father, was, humanly,
the Son of Man, true man from a mother, having true flesh within the entrails
of the mother and a reasonable human soul; at the same time the two natures,
that is God and man, one person only, only one Son, only one Christ, only one
God with the Father and the Holy Spirit, author of all things and who directs
all things, born of the Virgin Mary by a true fleshly birth; he ate and drank,
he slept, and tired after a trip, he rested; he suffered a true passion in his
flesh, and died a true death in his body, and was resurrected in his flesh and
by a true return of the soul to the body; in this flesh, after having eaten and
drank, he was raised up to heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, and he
will return to judge the living and the dead.
792
We believe from our heart and confess with our mouth only one church, not that
of the heretics, but the holy Roman Church, catholic, apostolic, and outside of
which we believe that no one is saved.
793
Similarly we do not reject in any way the sacraments which are celebrated
within her, and through which the Holy Spirit cooperates by His inestemable and
invisible virtue, even if they are administered by a sinful priest, from the
moment that the church recognizes it; and neither do we despise ecclesiastical
actions and the benedictions accomplished by him, but we accept them from a
watchful heart just as if they came from the most righteous men, for the malice
of a bishop or priest does not annihilate the baptism of a child, nor the
consecration of the Eucharist, nor the other ecclesiastic offices celebrated
for their subjects.
794
We therefore approve of the baptism of children, and if they are dead after
their baptism, before they committed any sins, we confess and believe that they
are saved; and we believe that in baptism all sins are remitted, so also
original sin that was contracted as those that we voluntarily committed.
We esteem that the confirmation done by a bishop, that is the laying on of
hands, is holy and must be received with veneration.
795
We firmly and unalterably believe from a sincere heart, and we affirm simply
with words filled with faith, that the sacrifice, that is to say the bread and
the wine, is, after consecration, the true body and true blood of our Savior
Jesus Christ, and that nothing more is accomplished by a good priest and that
nothing less by a bad priest, for it is not accomplished by the merit of him
who consecrates, but by the word of the Creator and by virtue of the Holy
Spirit. This is why we believe and firmly confess that regardless if a person
may be so honest, so religious, so holy, and so prudent, he may not consecrate
the Eucharist nor accomplish the sacrifice of the altar, unless he is a priest
and regularly ordained by a visible and tangible bishop. For this office, three
things are necessary: a determinate person, that is to say a priest
particularly established unto that office by a bishop, as we have said; these
are the solemn words expressed by the Holy Fathers in the Canon; and the
intention of the faith of him who utters [the consecration]; this is why we
believe and firmly confess that whosoever, without the ordination of a bishop
as we have said, thinks and pretends to be able to realize the sacrifice of the
Eucharist, is a heretic; he participates in the iniquity of the sons of Korah
and his accomplices [Nb 16], and he must be separated from the Holy Roman
Church.
We believe that unto sinners who truly repent the pardon of God is granted by
God, and that it is with great joy that we are in communion with them.
We venerate the anointing of the infirm with oil.
We do not deny that carnal marriages must be made contractual, according to the
Apostle [1 Cor 7], and we absolutely prohibit the breaking of those that were
regularly solemnized. We believe and we confess that a man may also be saved
with his wife, and neither do we condemn second or other weddings.
We do not reprove in any way the consumption of meats. Nor do we condemn the
taking of a vow, even more, we believe from a sincere heart that it is
permitted to swear according to the truth, the sentence and righteousness.
(addition in 1210: On the subject of secular power, we affirm that he may,
without mortal sin, exercise judgment unto the shedding of blood, provided
that, in exercising the verdict, he does not proceed with hatred but according
to the sentence, nor carelessly but with moderation.).
796
We believe that preaching is very necessary and is praiseworthy, however we
believe that it must be accomplished by virtue of the authorities or with the
permission of the supreme pontiff or the prelates. But in all the places where
manifest heretics reside who deny and blaspheme God and the faith of the Roman
Church, we believe that we must, according to the will of God, confound them by
disputation and exhortation, and bring in opposition to them the Word of the
Lord, with head held high and unto death, as unto the adversaries of Christ and
of the Church.
Ecclesiastical ordinations and everything that is read or sung according to
what has been established, we humbly approve of and we venerate according to
the faith.
797
We believe that the devil did not become evil for by his condition, but by his
free choice.
We believe from all our heart and we confess with a loud voice the resurrection
of this flesh that is ours and not that which is other.
We believe and we firmly affirm that there will also be a judgment by Jesus
Christ and that everyone, according to what he has done in this flesh, will
receive punishment or recompense.
We believe that alms, the sacrifice and other good works can benefit the
deceased.
Those that live in this world and own goods, we profess and believe that they
will be saved if they give alms and do other good works with that which they
possess, and if they observe the commandments of God. We believe that,
according to the precept of the Lord, tithes, first fruits and offerings should
be paid to clergy.
