Holy Crusade and the Catholic Church?

Question

How does the modern Catholic Church view the Holy Crusades? Do they consider them divine inspired or do they consider them mistakes?

Answer 1

Muslim armies had conquered much of northern Africa, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Spain, which had been some of the most heavily Christian areas in the world.

Thousands, and possibly millions, of Christians died during this drive to eventually bring the entire world under Islam.

The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II to check the advance of the Muslims and regain control of the city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

I am sure that some atrocities were committed by both sides during this war but by most people's judgment this was a just war.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The Catholic Church for the time of the Crusades prevented the Mohammedan hoards from overrunning Europe. without the braveness of the Crusaders, all of Europe could have been Islamic interior of two an prolonged time or much less. And so could all factors of the international for this reason settled by skill of Islamic Europeans, like North and South u . s ., Australia, etc. in case you value your religious freedom, thank the Crusaders!

Answer 3

*is Catholic*

They were a good thing that went bad in many places, the bad parts mainly the way the Eastern Orthodox were treated in the later crusades, and other certain well known military abuses. The crusades though, where just in their inspiration and calling. They were called to defend the Holy Land and pilgrims from briggands and muslims.

Here are some thoughts from the vatican website

INGRAVESCENTIBUS MALIS
20. And as in the times of the Crusades, in all Europe there was raised one voice of the people, one supplication; so today, in all the world, the cities, and even the smallest villages, united with courage and strength, with filial and constant insistence, the people seek to obtain from the great Mother of God the defeat of the enemies of Christian and human civilization [the Muslims], to the end that true peace may shine again over tired and erring men.

FROM THE VATICAN MUSEUM
The Battle of Ostia, which in 849 saw the troops of Leo IV (pontiff from 847 to 855) opposed to the hordes of the Saracens, celebrates the miraculous victory of the papal armies and also refers to the crusade against the infidels encouraged by Pope Leo X (pontiff from 1513 to 1521).

Spiritual Ecumenism:
the inescapable way forward
On a number of occasions the Holy Father has appealed for God's forgiveness for the crimes committed during the fourth crusade. During his memorable visit to Greece in May 2001, he assured the Archbishop of Athens and of All Greece, Christodoulus: "Some memories are especially painful, and some events of the distant past have left deep wounds in the minds and hearts of people to this day. I am thinking of the disastrous sack of the imperial city of Constantinople, which was for so long the bastion of Christianity in the East . . . To God alone belongs judgement, and therefore we entrust the heavy burden of the past to his endless mercy, imploring him to heal the wounds which still cause suffering to the spirit of the Greek people.

Answer 4

You will never get a proper apology.

Even the most educated consider that the crusades were justified.

Now let me show you just one prime example of this "just war" still supported by the Vatican.

In 1095 CE Pope Urban II did publish a Papal Bull granting general amnesty for all criminals, robbers and thieves to join an army to conquer the Muslim lands and secure Jerusalem.

That Pope Urban in releasing this new law did say to the assembled mass of criminals: “Let those who have hitherto been robbers now become soldiers.”

Furthermore, that Pope Urban II did grant legal permission to all participants in the crusade to the lawful theft of two-thirds of the property of Muslims with one-third being paid to the church.

That in 1096, led by Peter the Hermit, Pope Urban II did grant permission to hundreds of thousands of priests, nuns and former peasants who had heard about the fabulous crusade for personal wealth to follow the army of the first crusade and that the Papal Bull regarding the division of riches also applied to them.

In 1099 Christian Knights, priests and members of the first crusade including freed criminals did slaughter every single man, woman, child and animal in Jerusalem, sparing not one soul upon the specific and clear orders and approval of Pope “Blessed” Urban II. That the death toll, from this clearly church sanctioned act was at least 150,000 to 200,000 people, of which at least 60,000 were Jewish.

See:
http://one-faith-of-god.org/final_testament/end_of_darkness/evil/evil_0110.htm

Now lets just think about this for the moment. Children? Animals? And these people call themselves followers of Jesus?

How could any sane person consider such action as Just? How could any person today who claims to follow the teachings of Jesus support such behaviour? Then again, how could a person claiming to be a follower of Jesus deny the truth of this history?

Answer 5

The Crusades was a just war. If not for it, all of us would be Muslims now. It cannot be denied that even to this day Islam has grown through conquest and violence.
Peace and every blessing!

Answer 6

The crusades for the most part were intended to repulse Muslim invaders out of Europe. I wouldn't say they were exactly wrong because without them we'd have a Muslim Europe 800 years ago, which we're likely to have anyway in the next 20 years.

Answer 7

I don't think there is an official view. If you are interested in the Crusades, you really should read what these two scholars on the subject have to say:
http://natcath.org/NCR_Online/archives2/2006a/022406/022406a.php

Answer 8

Any good deed that the Catholic Church has done they consider divine inspired. Any bad deed like their telling Galileo to shut up when he discovered that what they were preaching was not true is swept under the carpet.

Answer 9

What many of folks do not know is that Rome reinstated the very office of inquisition under pope john paul II calling it the holy office now.

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HOLY OFFICE STILL EXISTS
Pope John Paul II Revives Inquisition

The thought of a revived Holy Office of the Inquisition would pacify some and offend others. Nevertheless, the "Holy Office" still exists. Only it's name has been changed. Pope John Paul II has been instrumental in its revival. One may argue that this Ratzinger run agency is merely an attempt by the Catholic Church to root out communism or backslidden priests and their practices. However, with John Paul II's objective to implement "God's mandate" by creating a global church-state which will administer from traditional Roman Catholic theology, is enough cause for alarm. Malachi Martin has already stated in his book, "The Keys of this Blood," that the pope will not tolerate any belief systems that oppose his, not on a civil or church level. In John Paul II the world will behold a tyrant who will coldly execute direct orders against those whom he deems are heretics or immoral. Moreover, like his papal predecessors, John Paul II will carry out his "Godly mandate" in the name of Christ, or perhaps Mary. May God help us all. -By Kathleen R. Hayes Feb 1991, NRI Trumpet Page 3
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And if that was'nt enough rome also made it appear like if the inquisition was no big deal and lied about the amounts of folks she killed!

But history once again exposes her as a lying entity.

"For teaching faith contrary to the teaching of the Church of Rome, history records the martyrdom of more than 100 million people."1

As for the person in here that said holy crusades are a rightious war agains heathens I would like to say that you do not know what you are talking about!

Heathens also called heretics in the roman catholic CULT, cause thats what it really is, are regarded anathema (damnable, to be destroyed) by the councel of trent.

Read the following quote from it:

"If anyone denies that in the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist (communion wafer) are contained truly, really and substantially the body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ, but says that He is in it only as a sign, or figure or force, let him be anathema." (One exhausted definition of "Anathema" = To be damned and put to death)" 3

It is worth to note that a heretic in roman catholicism is anybody that is not a roman catholic!

"He is a heretic who does not believe what the Roman Hierarchy teaches. A heretic merits the pains of fire. By the Gospel, the canons, civil law, and custom, heretics must be burned" (pp. 148,169). 3

"The Catholic Church has persecuted ... when she thinks it is good to use physical force she will use it... Will the Catholic Church give bond that she will not persecute?... The Catholic Church gives no bonds for her *good behaviour*." 4

Were you aware Pope John Paul II called all non Catholics HERETICS in his globally broadcast mea culpa of March 12, 2000? Were you also aware there are many nations the World over where Roman Catholicism is a large part of the laws of the land? Kind of makes this next quote more gruesome then doesn't it...

The archbishop of St. Louis said: "Heresy and unbelief are crimes; and in Christian countries, as in Italy and Spain, for instance, where all people are Catholics, and where the catholic religion is an essential part of the law of the land, they are punished as crimes." ... "Every cardinal, archbishop, and bishop in the Catholic Church takes an oath of allegiance to the pope, in which occur the following words" "Heretic, schismatics, and rebels to our said lord (the pope), or his aforesaid successors, I will to my utmost persecute and oppose." 5

"Experience teaches that there is no other remedy for the evil, but to put heretics (Protestants) to death; for the (Romish) church proceeded gradually and tried every remedy: at first she merely excommunicatied them; afterwards she added a fine; then she banished them; and finally she was constrained to put them to death." 6

So please people, do your homework before you make ignorant and false claims in here. The Roman Catholic "Church" is still the same as she was during the time of inquisition, she just does it behind the scenes now, her laws are still active and her oppinion on us "heretics" is too!

G-d bless,


Erol
http://www.answeringcatholicism.com

Answer 10

Thank God you ran into a history buff that can tell you that there has been no crusades since 1394!