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Name:
Waldenses, Waldensians, Vaudois
Dates:
Banned from Unauthorized Preaching: 1184
Joined Protestant Reformation: 1532
Granted Religious Freedom: 1848
Definition:
Named after Peter Waldo (d. 1218), the Waldenses emphasized reliance upon the
Bible over organized church institutions. Waldo was a wealthy merchant who, like
Francis, took inspiration from the New Testament and renounced his wealth,
preferring instead to enter a life of preaching and poverty. He attracted much
attention, but unlike Francis he did not receive official recognition or
permission to found a religious order from Rome.
So, he simply ignored church officials and continued to preach, always with followers along with him. Eventually his movement developed a radical anti-clerical stance, attacking the authority and privileges which the clergy had accumulated over the centuries as un-Christian. They also allowed women to preach, rejected the doctrine and purgatory and criticized the practice of selling indulgences. Aside from those and a few similar issues, they were surprisingly orthodox in their teachings.
The response by the Roman Catholic Church was, as in so many similar cases, persecution and oppression. Despite the problems they encountered they persevered and, in 1532, they joined the Protestant Reformation. Eventually, they were officially recognized and granted religious freedom. Although persecutions eliminated most of them, there are still a few pockets of Waldenses left in the Alps and Piedmont and their numbers are estimated at around 20,000.
Also Known As: Waldensians, Vaudois
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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