Why is Peter Waldo important?

Why is Peter Waldo important?

He is credited with providing to Europe the first translation of the Bible in a ‘modern tongue’ outside of Latin. In January 1179, Waldo and one of his disciples went to Rome, where they were welcomed by Pope Alexander III and the Roman Curia.

What happened Peter Waldo?

Valdes, also called Peter Waldo, (died c. 1205), medieval French religious leader. A successful merchant, Valdes underwent a religious conversion, gave away his wealth, and began to preach a doctrine of voluntary poverty in Lyon about 1170.

Where is Peter Waldo from?

Lyon, France
Peter Waldo/Place of birth

What did the waldenses believe?

Modern Waldensians share core tenets with Calvinists, including the priesthood of all believers, congregational polity and a “low” view of certain sacraments such as Communion and Baptism. They are members of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe and its affiliates worldwide.

Why was Peter Waldo a heretic?

The French religious leader Peter Waldo (active 1170-1184) believed in voluntary poverty and religious simplicity. His followers were considered heretics by the Church. Some priests of Lyons, disturbed by Peter’s popularity, tried to curb his activities. …

Who were the Cathars in France?

The Cathars (also known as Cathari from the Greek Katharoi for “pure ones”) were a dualist medieval religious sect of Southern France which flourished in the 12th century CE and challenged the authority of the Catholic Church.

Why was Peter Waldo excommunicated?

Waldo, Peter He sent out disciples, known as Poor Men, to read to the common people from the Bible. He preached without ecclesiastical authorization and was excommunicated.

What are Anabaptists called today?

Today the descendants of the 16th century European movement (particularly the Baptists, Amish, Hutterites, Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Brethren in Christ) are the most common bodies referred to as Anabaptist.

What did the Cathars really believe?

Cathars believed human spirits were the sexless spirits of angels trapped in the material realm of the evil god, destined to be reincarnated until they achieved salvation through the consolamentum, a form of baptism performed when death is imminent, when they would return to the good God.

Do Waldensians still exist?

The Waldensians still exist today, primarily in the Piedmont region of Italy. In 2015, Pope Francis visited the Waldensian church in Turin, Italy. It was here that Waldensian Christians endured brutal persecution by the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages.

Do Cathars still exist today?

There are even Cathars alive today, or at least people claiming to be modern Cathars. There are historical tours of Cathar sites and also a flourishing, if largely superficial, Cathar tourist industry in the Languedoc, and especially in the Aude département.

Who was Peter Waldo and what did he do?

Peter Waldo was proto-Protestant, though he didn’t know it. He was a merchant turned prophet who simply believed in the word of God with all his heart, which he demonstrated with all his life. And in taking God at his word, Waldo turned his world upside down.

Why was Peter Waldo inspired to do transubstantiation?

Sometime shortly before the year 1160, he was inspired by a series of events, firstly, after hearing a sermon on the life of St. Alexius, secondly, rejection of transubstantiation when it was considered a capital crime to do it, thirdly, the sudden and unexpected death of a friend during an evening meal.

When was Peter Waldo excommunicated by the Lateran Council?

Waldo’s ideas, but not the movement itself, were condemned at the Third Lateran Council in March of the same year. The leaders of the Waldensian movement were not yet excommunicated. In 1180, Waldo composed a profession of faith which is still extant.

Who was the founder of the Waldensian Church?

Peter Waldo is regarded as the founder of the Waldensians sometime between 1170 and 1177. There were claims that the Waldensians predated Peter Waldo. In his A History of the Vaudois Church (1859), Antoine Monastier quotes Bernard, abbot of Foncald, writing at the end of the 12th century, that the Waldensians arose during the papacy of Lucius.