In 1209ad, Pope Innocent lll raised an army of Frenchmen to destroy the Albigenses of southern France. This was a holy war, a jihad, against what Rome perceived as a threat to her European power. Having taken over the town of Toulouse, they headed for Beziers. The town was populated by both Catholics and Albigensians. As it was impossible to distinguish between the 2, the Papal Legate, Arnaud Amalric ordered a group of his soldiers caught inside to city to kill everyone, saying, "the Lord knows which are His". The result, 20,000 innocent Christians, without discrimination of rank, gender, or age, were murdered. That was just in the first season of a crusade which ultimately lasted for 20 years. No-one knows the final numbers of Christians slaughtered by a church that sought power over everything else.
This attitude toward so called heresy was not an uncommon or stand alone event by one crooked Pope. This sense of power and authority over the lives of others came from a dogmatic sense of superiority over all others, and the arrogance of believing he had power to offer spiritual benefits in exchange for a compelled allegiance. The alternative was mass murder, genocide, and torture of entire communities, and this ethos ran throughout the papacy from the time of its inception around the time of Constantine, and later affirmed by Justinian, but was on steroids particularly since the time of Aquinas and held as sacred truth by the Dominicans, who later operated the inquisition.
The question, has the leopard changed its spots , applies to modern Catholicism.
Natural law was the basis for Aquinas's theology, and is also seen in the current writings of Francis. This natural law justified persecution, but interestingly also justifies the theft of property and declares the thief innocent if his need of the particular item is greater than that of the owner. The term "common good" is found in both Aquinas and Francis's writings. Thus the rights of individuals are subordinated to the rights of the majority. This teaching within Catholicism is why the papacy was so opposed to the American constitution.
Aquinas also reflected the teaching of Augustine in proposing "just" wars. They must occur, said Aquinas, "For a good and just purpose". Which begs the question. Who decides what is a good and just purpose? Certainly not the Albigenses or the Waldenses who came after. No, within the papal system it is up to the Pope to decide what is the common good, and what individuals and groups must be exterminated to maintain or establish what he perceives is for the good of all.
Now. A supplementary question would be, why did the American pioneers so design their government to keep separate the workings of church and state? If church and state were united in America, to whose advantage would that be? Rome? Or the people of America?
I suggest the answer to the OPs question, is no. The leopard is still a leopard.
This attitude toward so called heresy was not an uncommon or stand alone event by one crooked Pope. This sense of power and authority over the lives of others came from a dogmatic sense of superiority over all others, and the arrogance of believing he had power to offer spiritual benefits in exchange for a compelled allegiance. The alternative was mass murder, genocide, and torture of entire communities, and this ethos ran throughout the papacy from the time of its inception around the time of Constantine, and later affirmed by Justinian, but was on steroids particularly since the time of Aquinas and held as sacred truth by the Dominicans, who later operated the inquisition.
The question, has the leopard changed its spots , applies to modern Catholicism.
Natural law was the basis for Aquinas's theology, and is also seen in the current writings of Francis. This natural law justified persecution, but interestingly also justifies the theft of property and declares the thief innocent if his need of the particular item is greater than that of the owner. The term "common good" is found in both Aquinas and Francis's writings. Thus the rights of individuals are subordinated to the rights of the majority. This teaching within Catholicism is why the papacy was so opposed to the American constitution.
Aquinas also reflected the teaching of Augustine in proposing "just" wars. They must occur, said Aquinas, "For a good and just purpose". Which begs the question. Who decides what is a good and just purpose? Certainly not the Albigenses or the Waldenses who came after. No, within the papal system it is up to the Pope to decide what is the common good, and what individuals and groups must be exterminated to maintain or establish what he perceives is for the good of all.
Now. A supplementary question would be, why did the American pioneers so design their government to keep separate the workings of church and state? If church and state were united in America, to whose advantage would that be? Rome? Or the people of America?
I suggest the answer to the OPs question, is no. The leopard is still a leopard.
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