The Waldenses (2)- Cataneo's Crusade

Transcription

1 The Waldenses (2)- Cataneo's Crusade 1 But now in 1487 it was determined by Pope Innocent VIII to eradicate the heresy from the east of the Alps as Pope Innocent III had done by his crusade in southern France. First he issued a bull declaring that they were heretics. "No charge could be brought against the moral character of this proscribed class. Even their enemies declared them to be a peacable, quiet, pious people. Their grand offense was that they would not worship God according to the will of the pope.... They were not accused as idlers, or dishonest, or disorderly; but it was declared that they had an appearance of piety and sanctity that seduced the sheep of the true fold. Therefore the pope ordered that malicious and abonimable sect of malignants if they refuse to abjure to be crushed like venomous snakes." GC 76,77 2 Albert Cataneo was appointed to carry out this bull. He gathered an army of 18,000 regular soldiers plus thousands of ruffians who were promised forgiveness for all sins and a share of the goods of the Waldenses which they killed. The plan was to attack the Waldenses from both sides of the Alps. They were to meet in the Valley of Angrogna and finish the job there. 3 The French division of the army was under the command of La Palu. He first a) entered Val Loyse. The people saw a huge army coming into their valley and knew that they could not resist them. So they gathered up their old and their children in rustic carts and what utensils and food they could hastily gather and made their way up the slopes of Mont Pelvoux which rises some 6000 feet over the level of the valley. Some were b) overtaken and slaughtered on the spot. The rest made it up to a huge cave about halfway up the mountain. There is a platform in front of the cavern below which the mountain is very steep. The roof of the cave forms a huge arch and the cave narrows down into a narrow passage which again widens out into a spacious room. The Vaudois entered this grotto putting their women and children into the back room. The able-bodied men posted themselves at the entrance having barricaded with huge stones the entrance to the cave and the path that leads to it. They considered themselves secure. They had provisions to last for two years and it would not be difficult to knock anyone down who tried to come up the steep precipice to the entrance. But La Palu and his soldiers climbed up the c) mountain from the other side and came down by ropes onto the platform. The Vaudois could probably have cut the ropes as the soldiers came down, but they were so surprised by this turn of events, that it paralyzed them until there were too many soldiers on the platform. They retreated to the back of the cave. La Palu realized it would not work for his soldiers to follow them into the cave, so he had them pile up brush in front of the cave and set it on fire. The black smoke began to billow into the cave and the Waldenses had the choice to rush out and be killed by the soldiers or to suffocate in the cave. A few rushed out and were killed by the sword, but most chose to stay inside and were suffocated. Later

2 The Waldenses (2)- Cataneo's Crusade, page 2 it was found that there were about 3000 people in the cave including 400 infants. The entire population of Val Loyse was wiped out. Never again did Vaudois live in this beautiful valley., page 2 4 This diaster was the protection of the neighboring valleys of Argentiere and Fraisiniere. They learned that their only safety was in resistance. They barricaded the passes to their valleys and gave such a strong resistance that La Palu decided that it was wise to leave them in peace. 5 The army then struck across the Alps to the Valley of Pragelas. At first the inhabitants panicked and fled. Many were slain and those who made it to the caves on the mountainside were also suffocated by the fires which the slodiers built at their mouth. But soon the survivors took heart and drove the army from their valley. 6 On the east side of the Alps Cataneo himself took the lead. He thought it a) would be easy to finish off these simple herdsmen, so he divided his army into several attacking parties and planned to attack in several places at once and be done with it quickly. The first army went up the Lucerna Valley. They easily took Torre Pellice because the inhabitants had fled to the mountains. Then they went up to Villaro and took it in the same way. Next they came to Bobbio (where we stayed while there). Bobbio is a beautiful spot surrounded by mountains. Immediately behind Bobbio is the Barion, b) 3000 feet above the roofs of Bobbio. Behind it and sweeping round the edge of the valley, is a glorious amphitheater of crags and precipices enclosed by a background of great mountains, some rounded like domes, others sharp as needles; and rising out of this sea of hills, are the grander and loftier forms of the peaks which guard the gloomy pass that winds its way through splintered rocks and under overhanging precipices till it opens into the valleys of the French Protestants. What a contrast between the still repose and the grand sublimity of nature and the dreadful work these men have come to do. To them nature speaks in vain! The capture of Bobbio was an easy task because the inhabitants had also fled to the more protected places in the mountains, the Valley of Lucerna is too open to be defended by a small band. 7 Now they planned to cross the Col Julien and clean out the Prali Valley. 700 a) men were sent to cross the mountain pass and do the job. It is a steep and difficult climb which they have undertaken. Higher and higher they climb and still on it goes. Finally, after climbing on their hands and knees the grassy slope at the top of the pass, they look down on Prali. They were sure that they could surprise the people of this valley and b) so have an easy victory. But instead of fleeing panic-stricken, the men of Prali hastily assembled and stood against the invaders. The weapons of the Vaudois were rude, but their trust in God and their indignation at the cowardly assault gave them strength and courage.

3 The Waldenses (2)- Cataneo's Crusade, page 3 The soldiers were weary from their long and difficult climb and fell beneath the blows of the men of Prali. Of all the 700 only one man escaped. He hid in a snowbank for several days until at last, cold and hungry, he came, page out 2and cast himself on the mercy of the Waldenses. If their places had been reversed, it is sure the Vaudois would have been slain. But they sent him back over the Col Julien to report to those that sent him that the Vaudois had courage to fight for their homes and churches and that he alone escaped to bring back news of the expedition. 8 Cataneo decided that he would take care of Angrogna valley himself. The valley runs on for about 12 miles into the Alps in a succession of narrow gorges and open dells ending in Pra del Torno which is protected on all sides by steep mountain peaks except the south and this is guarded by a narrow gorge which can easily be defended. Most of the Waldensian people had fled to Pra del Torno because it was the strongest refuge in all their valleys. Here they met in their synods, or conferences and here they had their college where they trained their missionaries. This is where Cataneo planned to finish the extinction of the Waldensees. Little did he know that the 700 he had sent to Prali were never to return and would not meet him there as planned. 9 The Waldenses had three choices -- they could go to mass; they could stay in their homes and wait to be butchered; or they could fight for their lives. They chose the last, but first they must move all those who would not be able to fight to a safer place. So they packed up their kneading troughs, their ovens, and their kitchen utensils and took their aged, their sick, and their children and made their way up the mountain paths to Pra del Torno. They could be seen making their way up the rugged paths, their voices could be heard sweetly singing psalms as they ascenced. Those who remained busied themselves in preparation to resist the attack that was sure to come. 10 Cataneo marched his army up the Valley of Angrogna. The beginning was a) easy enough, but then the valley began to climb to the heights of Rocciamaneud where the Waldenses decided to take a stand. The Vaudois men were on the ridge, with some of the women and children behind them. Cataneo's soldiers charged up the cliff showering arrows as they came. The Waldensian line seemed to waver, and the women and b) children behind sensing danger fell on their knees and raised their hands to heaven and cried aloud, "O God of our fathers, help us! O God, deliver us!" The attacking host heard that cry, and especially one of the captains named Black Mondovi, a proud, bigoted bloodthirsty man. He instantly shouted up that his soldiers would give the answer and added horrible blasphemies. He raised the visor of his helmet as he spoke. At that instant, an arrow from the bow of Pierre Revel went straight into his forehead, entering between his eyes; he fell on the earth, a corpse. The fall of their daring leader c) caused the enemy soldiers to fall back and run for their lives. They were chased down the

4 The Waldenses (2)- Cataneo's Crusade, page 4 mountain by the Vaudois who drove them back to the plain where they had started, cutting down a great many as they fled. That evening the Waldenses came back to the spot to praise God for the victory He had given them., page 2 11 Cataneo was furious and embarassed that a few herdsmen could defeat his a) army. He determined a 2nd attack. He entered the Angrogna Valley again and passed the Rocciamaneud without any incident. They went through the narrow gorge beyond. Still he had met no resistance and now found himself in possession of a beautiful expanse with many little hamlets, but no one was there. The people he knew, must be in Pra del Torno. Between him and his prey rose the Barricade, a steep, unscalable mountain, b) which runs like a wall across the valley and forms a rampart to the famous Pra. He searched and at last found an entrance. Through a long, narrow and dark chasm lies the one and only path that leads to the Pra. Cataneo boldly orderd his men to enter and traverse this frightful gorge, not knowing how few of them he should ever lead back. 12 The only pathway through this chasm is a rocky ledge on the side of the mountain, so narrow that not more than 2 men can go along it at a time. If attacked in the front, from the rear, or from above, there is no way to retreat. Their is not room for them to fight if attacked either. The pathway is halfway between the bottom of the gorge and the summit of the mountain. Here the cliff goes up at least 1000 feet. Sometimes it leans over the path as if about to fall on it. The stream rushes over the rocks far below. Into this terrible chasm the soldiers of Cataneo marched. They were now nearing the Pra. They thought they would soon have the Waldensians in their grasp. 13 But God was watching over the Vaudois. How would God work for the Vaudois? A white cloud no bigger than a man's hand, unobserved by the Piedmontese, but watched with eager expectation by the Waldenses, gathered on the summit. That cloud grew rapidly bigger and blacker. It began to descend. It came rolling down the mountain's side, and filled the chasm from top to bottom with a thick, black fog. The soldiers came to a standstill, terrified. The Vaudois climbed to the top of the mountain, tore up huge stones and rocks and sent them thundering down into the ravine. The soldiers were crushed where they stood. Some Waldenses entered the chasm, and sword in hand attacked the army from the front. This caused more panic and in their efforts to flee, many were knocked down onto the rocks in the stream below. 14 One of Cataneo's officers, a huge, proud mad stood on a boulder cursing the Waldenses. An old, lame Waldensian and a child were hiding behind some bushes. The man had a bow and arrow and shot Saquet and he fell into the stream and was washed downstream into a deep pool called a toumpi. This is called the Toumpi de Saquet to this day.

5 The Waldenses (2)- Cataneo's Crusade, page 5 15 The war continued for about a year in which the Waldenses were in constant danger of being surprised by a band of enemy soldiers. Yet they kept a sharp lookout and many times they surprised the enemy as, they page came 2 up the valleys. Of the 18,000 soldiers and about 18,000 thieves and murderers who joined the war, not many ever returned home. Finally the Duke of Savoy offered them peace and 12 men went to Turin to talk with him. They presented their beliefs to him in such a clear way, showing that they were only following the Bible that he admitted he had been deceived about them and apologized for having caused so much suffering to them. Then he requested to see 12 of their little children. Why would he want to see them? They agreed to bring them for him to see. When he saw them he was surprised at how beautiful and well formed they were. Why? He had been told that the Waldensian children were born with one eye in the middle of the forehead and four rows of black teeth as well as other deformities. He realized that he had been lied to in order to get him to agree to the war. He promised them that they would no longer be molested because of their religion. This was in 1489.