Waldensian Crusade

Waldensian Crusade
1488 -

The Waldenses (French Vaudois) were a Christian movement which began in the Alpine valleys and spread throughout much of Europe. In opposition to the corruption of papal Rome, they embraced the apostolic teachings of the Scriptures as the rule of life. They had the Scriptures translated into the vernacular for the common folk to understand them. For a time, they tried to remain and work within the pale of Rome, but they were branded as heretics and driven out. Their 'excommunication' eventually developed into persecution, and an unsuccessful papal effort to annihilate them. The bull of Innocent VIII in 1487 called forth a crusade against them.

To carry out his bull, Innocent VIII appointed Albert Cataneo, Archdeacon of Cremona, his legate ... The bull invited all Catholics to take up the cross against the heretics; and to stimulate them in this pious work, it "absolved from all ecclesiastical pains and penalties, general and particular; it released all who joined the crusade from any oaths they might have taken; it legitimatized their title to any property they might have illegally acquired, and promised remission of all their sins to such as should kill any heretic. It annulled all contracts made in favor of Vaudois, ordered their domestics to abandon them, forbade all persons to give them any aid whatever, and empowered all persons to take possession of their property."
The History of Protestantism, Volume Second - Book Sixteenth, Chapter 1, by James A. Wylie

Some background and history of the Waldensians:

The History of Protestantism, by James A. Wylie
     The Waldenses -- Their Valleys, Volume First, Book First, Chapter 6
     The Waldenses -- Their Missions and Martyrdoms, Volume First, Book First, Chapter 7
     Protestentism in the Waldensian Valleys, Volume Second, Book Sixteenth

The Waldensian Movement From Waldo to the Reformation, A Research Paper by Dennis McCallum

The New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, with its standard pro-papal slant, attempts to impugn the Waldensians by maligning their doctrinal orthodoxy, but only succeeds in bearing witness to their doctrinal orthodoxy—showing that they were opposed to the heresies of papal Rome. Further, it tells of the opposition which they endured from the Roman church, and of the papal crusade launched against them.

... Their preaching, however, was not unmixed with doctrinal error and was consequently prohibited, according to Stephen of Bourbon, by the Archbishop of Lyons, according to Walter Map, present at the assembly, by the Third General Lateran Council (1179). The Waldenses, instead of heeding the prohibition, continued to preach on the plea that obedience is due rather to God than to man. Pope Lucius III consequently included them among the heretics against whom he issued a Bull of excommunication at Verona in 1184.
¶ ... Among the doctrinal errors which they propagated was the denial of purgatory, and of indulgences and prayers for the dead. They denounced all lying as a grievous sin, refused to take oaths and considered the shedding of human blood unlawful....
¶ ... In 1192 Bishop Otto of Toul ordered all Waldenses to be put in chains and delivered up to the episcopal tribunal. Two years later King Alphonso II of Aragon banished them from his dominions and forbade anyone to furnish them with shelter or food. These provisions were renewed by Pedro II at the Council of Gerona (1197), and death by burning was decreed against the heretics.
¶ ... The policy of repression was temporarily abandoned under King Louis XI, who, believing them to be orthodox, extended to the Waldenses of the above-mentioned valleys his royal protection in an ordinance of 1478.
¶ This period of peace was followed in 1488 by a crusade summoned by Innocent VIII against the Waldenses. The war did not succeed in stamping them out....
New Advent (Roman) Catholic Encyclopedia, Waldenses

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