The Crusade
The term “ Crusade derives from cruce signati (‘ those signed by the cross ’)” A Holy war fought by those who were willing to offer their lives as they defended Christ and His Church against Muslims , Turks or in this case the Albigensian heresy . 75 This holy war was different from the crusades of the past . Previous crusades had taken place in the holy land for the purpose of freeing Christendom in the East from Islamic extremists . This crusade took place in the south of France in the hopes of freeing it from the grips of this “ insidious and cancerous threat .” 76 With the promise of indulgences many nobles and commoners were ready to take up arms , “ ready with the sign of the cross on their breasts to confront the enemies of the cross .” 77
The crusaders arrived in Lyon from various places in France and the battle between the Albigensians and the Catholic Church was under way . The heretics “ set themselves up against God and the Church … and chose to die as heretics rather than live as Christians .” 78 Many heretics and Christians died during the Albigensian crusade yet even with the peace accord signed in 1229 the heresy continued to exist .
75 Ibid ., 1 . 76 Thomas Madden . The Concise History of the Crusades , 3 rd ed ., ( NY : Rowman & Littlefield , 2014 ), 117 . 77 Peter of les Vaux-de-Cernay , The History of the Albigensian Crusade , trans . W . A . and M . D . Silby , ( NY : Boydell
Brewer , LTD ., 1998 ), 45 . 78 Ibid ., 50 .