“I do not deny there are village priests who are poorly schooled and ignorant of Latin, or bishops who neglect their spiritual duties by failing to visit their dioceses. But the Holy Church is all that stands between Christians and the triumph of evil. When these Albigensian heretics claim that salvation can be gained only through their teachings, they are committing the worst sort of blasphemy. Even more unforgivable, they are damning forever the souls of the deluded people who have been seduced by their heresy. And for that, I blame men like you, my lord count, for yours could be a voice for righteousness. Instead, you hold your peace whilst these false prophets tempt the unwary and the foolish into apostasy.”
Joanna had known that Cardinal Melior was an eloquent speaker; she saw now that he also possessed a lawyer’s skills, cleverly defanging Raimond’s accusations of Church corruption by admitting there was some truth to them. She could see that Raimond realized he was being outmaneuvered, for he tried to return to his original argument. “My people do not see the Cathar ‘good men’ as evil, my lord cardinal. They cause no trouble in Toulouse, do not go brawling and drinking in the taverns. They never accost women in the streets or steal or lie, and they turn away wrath with a soft word. They seek only to preach to those who want to listen—”
“And what do they preach, my lord count? They deny the Incarnation and the Resurrection, deny that Jesus is the Son of God, born of the Blessed Virgin. They blaspheme that the Church of Rome is the Devil’s church. They teach that men may be saved only by receiving the rite they call the Consolamentum, and they even allow women to give this rite.”
The cardinal paused dramatically to allow his audience time to consider the awful wickedness of such beliefs. “I do not doubt that the perfecti are as soft-spoken and amiable as you claim. That is how the Devil seeks to deceive the faithful. Scriptures warn, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You mock Holy Church’s concern with foxes, whilst you let wolves loose to prey upon the innocent. How do you defend that?”
“I do not share the Cathar beliefs, my lord cardinal. But I do not see their beliefs as truly dangerous to the Church. The Cathar priests are few in number and they do not preach rebellion. By persecuting them, you give them greater importance than they’d otherwise have. Would it not be better for the Church to combat such heresies by putting its own House in order? If there were no lecherous priests or corrupt bishops, the preaching of the Cathars would fall upon deaf ears.”
Cardinal Melior was momentarily rendered speechless by Raimond’s argument, so alien was it to the teachings of his Church. He regarded the younger man in genuine bafflement, for who but a madman could believe that heresy ought to be tolerated? “Scriptures speak quite clearly, leaving no room for misunderstanding, telling us that By sword and famine shall those false prophets be consumed. What you suggest, my lord count, is not only blasphemous, but it would lead to ruination and damnation. A land where Christians must live side by side with heretics and infidels would be truly accursed.”
Joanna had not known she meant to speak up until she heard the words coming out of her mouth. “There is such a land, my lord cardinal, and it is blessed by God, not accursed.” Suddenly the focal point of all eyes, she took a deep breath before continuing. “In the kingdom of Sicily, the Christians who follow the Holy Father in Rome and those who follow the Patriarch in Constantinople live with Saracens and Jews, and whilst there are tensions and misunderstandings between them at times, there is rarely bloodshed. This is because they do live in such close proximity, enabling them to realize that one can be a good man even if he worships the wrong God.”
The cardinal seemed stunned to hear such words coming from a Christian queen. Berengaria grasped Joanna’s arm protectively, looking distressed. After a moment, the papal legate collected himself, deciding to ignore the Queen of Sicily’s bizarre outburst as an aberration; all knew women were prone to illogical behavior, even highborn ones. Instead, he turned his attention back to the man he saw as a real threat, for even if Raimond de St Gilles was not yet a heretic, he was dangerously susceptible to their blasphemous teachings, and one day he would rule all of Toulouse. Shaking his head as if more in sorrow than anger, he reminded Raimond that even the most devout Christian must remain vigilant, for he that bade a false prophet “Godspeed” was a partaker of the heretic’s evil deeds.
Much to his irritation, Raimond did not appear to be listening. He was watching Joanna, and he was smiling.