Cathari (Noun)
Meaning
A Christian religious sect in southern France in the 12th and 13th centuries; believers in Albigensianism.
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- The Cathari were often persecuted and viewed as a threat to the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages in southern France.
- In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Cathari, along with other Albigensian groups, were the focus of various Crusades led by the Catholic Church.
- Cathari emphasis on spiritual purification led to a noticeable separation between ordinary and perfect followers within the community.
- Cathari, like many other Albigensians, maintained that there were two distinct worlds: one created by God and the other by the devil.
- During mass executions, numerous Cathari who refused to renounce their faith were given the opportunity to receive Catholic sacraments, many chose not to.