Unveiling The Mysteries: The Waldensians Untold Story of Faith Ep.62

Scythian Jo-hn

This is the story of a movement that troubled the Catholic Church.

Transcript

00:00The story begins in the bustling city of Lyon, France. It was the late 12th century, a time of

00:05great wealth and deep faith. A man named Valdez, often called Peter Waldo, was a very rich merchant.

00:12He had everything a person could want, a successful business, a beautiful home, a loving wife, and two

00:17daughters. But you know, something stirred in his heart. One day, the story goes, Waldo heard a

00:23traveling singer perform a song about Saint Alexius. Alexius was the son of a wealthy Roman

00:29nobleman who gave up everything on his wedding night. The tale struck Waldo like a bolt of

00:34lightning. The singer's words painted a vivid picture of a man who chose God over gold, faith

00:39over fortune. So Peter Waldo made a decision that would send shockwaves through Lyon and eventually

00:45all of Europe. He resolved to give away his immense fortune. He provided a generous dowry for his wife

00:51and placed his two daughters in a convent ensuring their care. Then he began to distribute the rest

00:56of his wealth to the poor. Waldo's dramatic act did not go unnoticed. Others were drawn to his

01:01example. Soon a group of followers gathered around him. They called themselves the Poor of Lyon.

01:08They embraced poverty not as a curse to be avoided, but as a spiritual blessing to be sought.

01:13They believed that by freeing themselves from worldly possessions, they could better focus on God.

01:19As the movement grew, it spread from Lyon into the surrounding regions. In northern Italy,

01:24a similar group had already formed, known as the Humiliati, or the Humbled Ones. This Italian branch

01:30of the movement became known as the Poor of Lombardy. They were often more organized, living in

01:35communities where they worked together and shared their resources. The core of the Waldensian way of

01:41life was a radical attempt to imitate Jesus and his apostles. Their leaders, known as Barbas,

01:46traveled with nothing but a simple robe and a copy of the scriptures. A central practice that set the

01:52Waldensians apart was their insistence on lay preaching. They believed that any person,

01:56man or woman who felt called by God had the right to preach its message. This was a direct

02:01challenge to the authority of the Catholic Church, which held that only ordained priests could preach

02:06and interpret the scriptures. Their preachers went out two by two just as Jesus had sent out his

02:11disciples to share the gospel in homes, marketplaces, and fields. Peter Waldo understood a fundamental

02:17truth. If people were to live by the Bible, they first had to understand it. He commissioned a

02:23monumental task, translating the New Testament into the local vernacular. This was an act of profound

02:29significance. It took the sacred text out of the exclusive hands of the clergy and placed it directly

02:34into the hands of the laity. For the first time, ordinary people could hear the words of Jesus,

02:40the letters of Paul, and the stories of the apostles spoken in their own tongue. Of course,

02:45this act was seen as deeply threatening by the Catholic hierarchy. An independent vernacular

02:50Bible was a challenge to their authority. In 1179, they took a bold step to gain official approval.

02:57Two Waldensians traveled from Lyon all the way to Rome to attend the Third Lateran Council.

03:02The initial encounter was surprisingly positive. Pope Alexander III was reportedly impressed by their

03:08simplicity and piety and approved of their vow of poverty. However, the official church hierarchy

03:14were far more skeptical. They subjected the Waldensian representatives to a theological examination,

03:20questioning them on complex doctrines. The simple lay preachers were not trained in scholastic theology

03:26and struggled to answer the intricate questions. A chasm opened between their simple Bible-based faith

03:32and the complex theological structure of the church. They returned to Lyon and in defiance of the council's

03:38ruling, continued to preach publicly. This act of disobedience marked a turning point. In 1184,

03:45Pope Lucius III issued a bull, Ad Abilendam, which officially excommunicated Peter Waldo and his

03:50followers. The door to reconciliation had been slammed shut. Driven from the cities and branded as heretics,

03:57the Waldensians were forced to adapt to survive. Their movement went underground, transforming into a

04:03hidden church. They developed a network of safe houses and secret meeting places, often in the

04:08homes of sympathetic artisans or in remote farmhouses and mountain barns. At the heart of this underground

04:13network were the traveling preachers, the barbs. They traveled constantly, always in pairs, disguised as

04:20merchants, peddlers, or craftsmen. Their arrival in a community was a major event. They would stay for a few

04:26days preaching, teaching, hearing confessions, and administering the sacraments in secret. Life for an

04:32ordinary Waldensian believer was a delicate balance of outward conformity and inward descent. To their

04:37Catholic neighbors, they appeared to be normal members of the parish. But secretly, they held to

04:43their own beliefs and practices. They would quietly reject the priest's sermon in their hearts, later

04:48discussing the true meaning of scripture with a visiting barbet. Once excommunicated, the Waldensians

04:54became targets of systematic persecution. The newly established papal inquisition saw the Waldensians as one of

05:00its primary enemies. Those who were found guilty and refused to recant faced grim punishments. They were

05:07handed over to the secular government to be burned at the stake, a public spectacle designed to terrify

05:13others. The persecution was not limited to the Inquisition. The Waldensians faced waves of violent

05:19military attacks, especially in the remote Alpine valleys, where they had established strong communities.

05:25One of the most infamous episodes occurred during the Easter of 1655. The Duke of Savoy ordered his troops to

05:33demand conversion to Catholicism. When they refused, the soldiers unleashed a horrific massacre. Despite this

05:40unrelenting violence, the Waldensians demonstrated incredible resilience. Their communities in the high,

05:45inaccessible valleys provided a degree of protection, creating natural fortresses. Their faith, forged in secrecy and

05:53hardship, gave them the strength to endure. They saw their suffering as a sign that they were the true

05:58church, walking the same path of persecution as the early Christians. In the 16th century, everything

06:05changed. News of Martin Luther and John Calvin began to trickle into their remote Alpine valleys. They heard

06:11of a massive religious upheaval challenging papal authority. This encounter culminated in 1532, at the Synod of

06:18Shanforan. The Waldensian leaders made a momentous decision to formally align their movement with the

06:24Swiss Reformation. In a remarkable episode known as the Glorious Return of 1689, 900 exiled Waldensians,

06:32led by Pastor Henry Arnault, fought their way back across the Alps to their native valleys. Finally, in 1848,

06:39King Charles Albert issued the Edict of Emancipation, granting the Waldensians civil and religious rights.

06:46After nearly 700 years of persecution, they were at last free. Today, the historic heartland of the

06:52Waldensian church remains in the Caudian Alps of Piedmont, Italy, centered around Torre Pellis. This

06:59small but vibrant community maintains its own churches and institutions. However, the Waldensian

07:04legacy has spread far beyond these valleys. Significant congregations can be found in Uruguay, Argentina and

07:11the United States, particularly in North Carolina. The Waldensian story is a powerful testament to the

07:17resilience of faith. For centuries, they were sustained by a simple, radical idea that the

07:23Bible should be the guide for every aspect of life. Their legacy helped shape the course of Western

07:28Christianity.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended