Montsegur: Twelfth Century Holocaust

The Cathar's origin is a bit clouded, but they had influences from many religions. Buddhism, Hindu and Christianity all were there in some form. By the 12th century the core was Christian. But not the “Church” version. Rather an admixture of philosophies and beliefs, with one fatal tenant: They refused to accept the Pope as the spiritual leader of all Christians and were therefore declared heretics. Thousands were burned alive after refusing to accept the Church and the Pope.
I wanted to visit one of the last holdouts of this peaceful people, the mountain top refuge called Montsegur, located in the Midi Pyrnees in southwest France. Six hundred Cathars were besieged in this tiny redoubt for 10 months and eventually more than 200 were burned alive. The original structure was destroyed after the siege and rebuilt twice since, the current iteration known as Montsegur III. Little of the original remains.
I hoped to find a palpable sense of spirit in and around the castle (called the “Chateau” by locals) but felt only vague whispers. Sal and I made the steep climb, walked over the entire site and then went into the village for a glass of wine. The experience, while not the spiritual one I expected was none-the-less emotional. Simply being on the site of the massacre brought the history vividly to the present. The horrors of the Church, in the name of their “God”, were present in every corner of the area. As with any holocaust site, this one has a profound message for mankind: be vigilant and do not let this happen again. Yet we seem doomed to repeat the barbarism of extermination. I can personally name a few dozen “holocausts” that have occurred during the history of mankind. I am sure many are forgotten or went unrecorded. I wonder how many have been perpetrated in the name of some religion. Or with the tacit approval of some religious leader. Or by the warriors of a religion?
Just wondering. And BTW, it’s not over yet.
Image: Sal and Woody at Montsegur
See also: http://searchesworld.blogspot.com/2011/07/they-sang-as-they-burned.html