17 February 1858 A.D. Waldensians Gain Religious & Civil Rights in Italy
17
February 1858 A.D. Waldensians
Gain Religious & Civil Rights in Italy
Graves,
Dan. “Cause for Waldensian Rejoicing.” Christianity.com. May 2007. http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/cause-for-waldensian-rejoicing-11630509.html. Accessed 16 Jul 2014.
In the evening of February 16th
each year, jubilant Italians light bonfires on mountainsides in northern Italy.
These are a harbinger of joyous worship services and festivities which fill the
following day. The Waldenses have reason to be glad. This
day, February 17th, marks the anniversary of the day in 1858 when they finally received a
guarantee of civil and religious rights.
Relief had been long in coming.
The Waldensian saga began in 1176. A rich merchant, Peter Waldo, heard the
words of Christ to the rich young ruler, "If you would be perfect, go,
sell what you posses and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow me." Waldo determined to do just that. He provided for
his wife, placed his daughters in a nunnery, sold his property and distributed
it among the poor.
His first effort was to hire two
priests to translate parts of the scriptures into French. Memorizing large
portions of this, he began to preach among the people, urging them to imitate
Christ's voluntary poverty. As quickly as he made followers he sent them out by
twos with the scriptures and his message of poverty. Disgusted with voluptuous
Rome, the Waldensians denounced virtually all Catholic feasts as man made. They
rejected the Catholic sacraments except absolution, confession and Eucharist.
Like the Quakers of later years they refused to take oaths.
Altars, church buildings, holy
water, indulgences and all the paraphanelia and trappings of the established
church they renounced. They denied purgatory. The local archbishop, stung by
the implied rebuke, excommunicated Waldo. Waldo appealed to Pope Alexander III.
Alexander was sympathetic and said Waldensians could preach with the permission
of local bishops. To Waldo's regret, such permission was not forthcoming.
With or without permission Waldo
and his followers continued to preach, converting souls over a wide area.
Waldensianism became one of the most widespread non-conformist group of the
Middle Ages. Its adherents were excommunicated and butchered. For 682 years
they fled across Europe or hid in caves, persecuted, hunted, and exterminated
like vermin. With the coming of the Reformation, many joined the Protestants.
Survivors gathered in 1561 and pledged themselves to adhere to the scriptures.
Eventually they were reduced by persecution to only a few thousand individuals.
Allowed refuge in Switzerland, they pined for their homeland and in 1689 made a
"glorious return."
Not until the Italian revolutions
of the mid-nineteenth century was the remnant, now dwelling in alpine valleys
of the north of Italy, guaranteed common rights. After centuries of savage
persecution, it is little wonder that the Waldensians celebrate their relief
with bonfires, services and festivities.
Bibliography:
"Waldenses." The Oxford Dictionary of the
Christian Church. Edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone.
Oxford, 1997.
"Waldenses." New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of
Religious Knowledge. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1954.
Weber, N. A. "Waldenses." The Catholic
Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
Wylie, J. A. History of Protestantism. Bourne
Missionary Trust, 1985 reprint.
--------History of the Waldenses. London:
Cassell and Company, 1860.
Various encyclopedia and internet articles.
Last updated May,
2007.
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