- Arnaud Amalric
Arnaud Amalric, or Arnau Amalric, (died 1225) was a Cistercian
monk . He was abbot ofPoblet from 1196 to 1198, then ofGrandselve from 1198 to 1202Tugwell, Simon. "Early Dominicans". Paulist Press. ISBN 0-8091-2414-9. 1982. p 114-115.] . He later became the seventeenthabbot of Cîteaux.In 1204 he was named a
papal legate andinquisitor and was sent byInnocent III with Peter of Castelnau andArnoul to attempt the conversion of theAlbigensians . Failing in this, he distinguished himself by the zeal with which he incited men by his preaching to the crusade against these heretics.According to the Cistercian writer
Caesar of Heisterbach , one of the leaders of the Crusader army, at the siege ofBéziers in 1209, when asked by a Crusader how to distinguish the Cathars from the Catholics, Arnaul Amalric answered:Tuez-les tous; Dieu reconnaitra les siens. – (Kill them all; for the Lord knoweth them that are His.) [cite web |url=http://www.positiveatheism.org/mail/eml9442.htm |title=Kill Them All; For The Lord Knoweth Them That Are His Steve Locks (Reply) (9-00) |accessdate=2008-06-03 |format= |work=] .
On the other hand, the legate's own statement, in a letter to the Pope in August 1209 (col.139), states:While discussions were still going on with the barons about the release of those in the city who were deemed to be Catholics, the servants and other persons of low rank and unarmed attacked the city without waiting for orders from their leaders. To our amazement, crying "to arms, to arms!", within the space of two or three hours they crossed the ditches and the walls and Béziers was taken. Our men spared no one, irrespective of rank, sex or age, and put to the sword almost 20,000 people. After this great slaughter the whole city was despoiled and burnt... [Albigensian Crusade ]
According to Moréri, Arnaud was named
archbishop of Narbonne about 1212, after his return from an expedition into Spain to encourage the Christians against theMoors . He left an account of this expedition. His stirring spirit embroiled him with his sovereign, Simon de Montfort. In 1224, he presided in the council ofMontpellier , assembled to consider the complaints of the Albigensians.newgenbio|Amalric, Arnaud]References
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