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.We who preach and believe in Christ as true God believe that His words are true.He did not say, ‘The bread which I shall give you is my word’ as the Bogomils, who are enemies of Christ, misinterpret it, but called this bread His flesh.To those who call the holy and august icons idols, like the shapes of demons.anathema.6 For an anathema formula designed to be used by Bogomils see [26].P273CDH127311/28/97, 10:57 AMCHRISTIAN DUALIST HERESIESThere are many other headings also of the Bogomil heresy which should be anathematized.For this heresy is a many-headed hydra, and nothing right or sound can be found in all their words.to summarize it all in one word, we ought to catch hold of them and say, ‘If anyone does not accept the seven holy councils of our divine and inspired fathers, and does not honour and love the canons and dogmas which they declared, but instead insults and tries to overthrow them, anathema.’Let the final anathema be said in these words.If anyone anathematizes the Bogomil heresy only with his lips, but preserves and reverences and loves it in his heart, if in public he pretends to be orthodox, but in secret he venerates and preaches the dark mysteries of the Bogomils, may he inherit the everlasting fire, together with the traitor Judas.Whoever is accused of this Bogomil heresy, but turns and asks for forgiveness and reconciliation, must say the aforesaid anathema in church, in public, and so join the congregation of the faith.Our Mediocrity exhorts you in the faith, you orthodox Christians in the city of Constantinople, to distribute to all the churches the present letter of our Mediocrity, and to enjoin this commandment on you that it should be read on all Sundays and at the services of the other feasts to rouse up the orthodox people and to destroy the satanic heresies of the Bogomils.For I know that this heresy creeps along everywhere like a snake, biting and injuring the flock of Christ.Like an ulcer it eats away at the body of the Church and feeds on it, because the coming of antichrist is already near at hand and the Bogomils advance as his forerunners, who preach that he is king and master of theuniverse.May you, Christ-loving and orthodox people of Christ, be guarded by the grace of the Holy Spirit and strengthened to fulfil the commandments of Christ, so that you may become sharers of His kingdom and gain eternal benefits by the intercession of our most holy lady, the ever-virgin mother of God and of the saints.Amen.P274CDH127411/28/97, 10:57 AMAN ITALIAN INQUISITOR’S VIEW OF BOGOMILISM45.AN ITALIAN INQUISITOR’S VIEWOF BOGOMILISM ( c.1250)For an account of the author, Raynerius Sacconi see [38].This translation has been made from Sanjek, ‘Raynerius Sacconi’, pp.50, 59.[Information given by Sacconi about Cathar Churches ‘beyond the seas’] The Church of Sclavonia, the Church of the Latins of Constantinople, the Church of the Greeks of the same place, the Church of Philadelphia in Romania, the Church of Bulgaria, the Church of Duguuithia.1 And they all trace their origin to the last two.2The Church of the Latins in Constantinople has almost 50 members.The total membership of the Churches of Sclavonia and Philadelphia and of the Greeks [of Constantinople] and of Bulgaria and of Duguuithia is some 500.Reader, you may rest assured that in the whole world there are no more than 4,000 Cathars of both sexes, and that reckoning has been made many times by them in the past.3[.]Finally it should be noted that the Cathar Churches of Toulouse, Albi and Carcassonne hold the erroneous teaching of Belesmanza and the Old Albanenses, and so do almost all the Churches of the Cathars overseas which I have described.41 This yet another variant western attempt to spell Dragovitia.2 For the location of these Churches see our Introduction, pp.45–50.3 These figures relate only to the fully initiated members of the movement.Sacconi’s total of 4,000 does not tally with the other figures he gives
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