
The Cathars were a compassionate, vegan/vegetarian, egalitarian, deeply spiritual Christian dualist sect that flourished in parts of Southern France, especially in the Languedoc region, from the 11th to 14th centuries, until they were brutally exterminated by the Catholic Church. They held beliefs that resonate with modern vegan theology. Here’s an overview of the Cathars, especially in terms of their practices and beliefs related to animals, food, and non-violence.
1. Key Cathar Beliefs in Relation to Vegan Theology
1.1. Dualist Belief System
The Cathars were dualists, believing in two opposing forces: a good, spiritual God who created the spiritual world, and an evil force (often associated with the god of the Old Testament) responsible for the material world, including the physical body and the act of reproduction. This view shaped their ethical and dietary practices.
They believed that the material world was corrupt and evil, created by a malevolent deity. Therefore, Cathars sought to distance themselves from all material desires, which included certain dietary restrictions.
1.2. Veganism
The Cathar "Perfecti" (the most devout, who committed to a strict ascetic lifestyle) abstained from eating any animal flesh and animal products like cheese, milk, and eggs, while lay followers might eat a little fish. Killing animals for food was seen as part of the evil, material world, and many Cathars believed that animals possessed souls, making their slaughter immoral.
1.3. Non-Violence
The Cathars were committed to non-violence. They rejected all forms of killing, not only of humans but also of animals, seeing it as an expression of the evil that pervaded the material world. This aligns with aspects of modern vegan theology, which advocates for non-violence (ahimsa) and compassion towards all sentient beings.
1.4. Simplicity and Asceticism
The Cathars’ spiritual practices emphasized a detachment from worldly possessions and pleasures, including indulgence in rich foods. Their diet was simple, plant-based, and aligned with their ascetic values, though some of their lay followers might still consume fish and certain animal products.
2. Cathar Practices that Relate to Vegan Theology
2.1. Compassion for Living Beings
Cathars saw all living beings as part of the same divine creation, even though they viewed the material world as corrupt. They believed that souls could transmigrate, and this might have extended to animals, which influenced their vegetarian practices and compassion for other creatures.
2.2. Rejection of Sacrifice
Cathars rejected the Catholic sacrament of the Pauline Eucharist, which they viewed as too closely associated with sacrifice. In a way, their rejection of any form of animal slaughter, even for religious purposes, parallels modern vegan theology’s opposition to the commodification and sacrifice of animals.
3. The Egalitarian Structure of the Cathars Community
The Cathars rejected the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church, including the patriarchal monastic hierarchy. Their clergy (the Perfecti), including both women and men, lived as equals, often among the lay people, without the elaborate rituals and formalities of Catholic monastic orders.
3.1.Perfecti (Perfects)
The Perfecti were the spiritual elite of the Cathar movement. They took strict vows of asceticism, including celibacy, veganism, and simplicity, and dedicated their lives to spiritual teaching and serving their community. They lived simple, austere lives and were responsible for administering the consolamentum, the Cathar sacrament similar to baptism, which was believed to free the soul from the corruption of the material world.
3.1.1. Role of Women
While the Cathar Perfecti shared some similarities with monks, particularly in their asceticism and dedication to spiritual life, they did not belong to formal monastic orders, did not live in monasteries, and had a much more egalitarian structure, including both men and women in their spiritual elite. The broader Cathar community included both ascetics and laypeople, unlike the purely monastic focus of medieval Catholic orders.
3.2. Credentes (Believers)
The majority of Cathars were Credentes, or believers, who did not take the same strict vows as the Perfecti. They lived more typical lives, including marriage and participation in everyday economic activities, but they were spiritually committed to Cathar beliefs. They looked to the Perfecti for religious instruction and aimed to receive the consolamentum before death to achieve salvation.
4. Persecution by the Vatican
The Cathars were ultimately exterminated through a combination of military, political, and religious efforts led by the Catholic Church, particularly the Vatican, in collaboration with secular authorities. The primary cause of their destruction was the Albigensian Crusade (1209–1229), a military campaign launched by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism, followed by a ruthless inquisition to root out the remaining believers.
5. Surviving Works
Unfortunately, very few works written by the Cathars themselves have survived, largely because they were persecuted and many of their texts were destroyed during the Albigensian Crusade (1209–1229) and subsequent inquisitions aimed at eradicating the sect. However, some information about their beliefs and practices has been preserved through:
5.1. Inquisitional Records
Much of what we know about the Cathars comes from the records of the Catholic Church’s inquisitions. These records include interrogations of suspected Cathars, which describe their beliefs, practices, and way of life, though these accounts are often biased and framed in a negative light.
5.2. The Book of Two Principles
One of the few surviving Cathar texts is the Liber de duobus principiis ("The Book of Two Principles"), which outlines the Cathar dualist belief in the two opposing forces of good and evil. This work elaborates on their theological views but does not specifically address their dietary or ethical practices related to animals.
5.3. The Cathar Ritual (Rituel Cathare de Lyon)
This is a liturgical text that survived, providing insight into their religious ceremonies, including the "consolamentum," a sacrament similar to baptism given to the dying. While it does not directly address their dietary practices, it reflects their overall spiritual discipline.
6. Sources of Information
Malcolm Lambert’s The Cathars (1998): This book is one of the most comprehensive studies of the Cathar movement, including their religious practices, beliefs, and their persecution by the Catholic Church.
R. I. Moore’s The War on Heresy: Faith and Power in Medieval Europe (2012): This work offers a detailed examination of the Cathars and other medieval heretical movements, shedding light on their beliefs and the broader context in which they existed.
Mark Gregory Pegg’s The Corruption of Angels: The Great Inquisition of 1245–1246 (2005): This book draws on inquisition records to provide a detailed account of Cathar beliefs, including their dietary practices.
7. Conclusion
While some of the Cathars were not strictly vegan in the modern sense, their practices of vegetarianism, compassion for animals, and non-violence bear strong similarities to vegan theology. They believed in abstaining from the consumption of animals and rejected the violence and corruption associated with the material world, reflecting an ethical framework that aligns with aspects of vegan spirituality today. The Cathar community was indeed a merciful, egalitarian, utopia-like structure, including both women and men in the Perfecti as well as the Credentes. Unfortunately, they were ultimately exterminated by the medieval Catholic church.
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