3 Things Christians Should Know About The Crusades
by Genevieve Perkins Apologetics, Controversial Subjects, History of the Church
“But the Crusades… Christians in the Crusades did such-and-such… Terrorists? Well, if the Crusades hadn’t happened… The Catholic Church is hypocritical—just look at the Crusades… Your Church started the holy war first…” Doesn’t it feel like you’re being attacked sometimes?
There was a time when knights with red crosses were revered and people praised them. The knights were upheld as virtuous examples, tapestries were woven about them, and ballads were sung. Now, people blame the Catholic Church for problems they root in some idea about the Crusades and often demand explanations from Christians for the actions of our forefathers.
Fortunately, some people ask calmly, just wanting to know what you as a Catholic think about the Crusades. Unfortunately, many others appear to want to start their own version of a crusade against the Church to force Her to atone for Her perceived sins.
Using facts (and skewing them), you can create any version of history you want with anyone as the hero and anyone as the villain. When people approach you with negative views of the Church, remember Venerable Fulton Sheen’s words: “There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.” You are a representative of the Catholic faith, so how you respond to questions is important.
If you don’t know an answer, say so and offer to research it and ask your parish priest or a trusted friend. Don’t start your own “holy war” against someone else for their perhaps rude and bias curiosity. Be strong in your faith and charitable.
There are three main points that you should know about the Crusades, if nothing else.
3 Main Points To Know About The Crusades
1. Just War is NOT conversion by the sword
There is no such thing in our faith as a call to convert people to Christianity by force.
We don’t wage wars to convert others; we fight to defend people.
Jesus would not tell us to love our neighbour and then hypocritically say to fight until everyone converts. Christians know conversion is a choice to follow Christ made by each person, often inspired by love and never able to stick if forced with a sword.
Yet, just as Jesus flipped tables at the temple in defence of His Father, we are also allowed to defend each other against harm when possible.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church was not written before the Crusades, but it was written to accurately record the faith of our Church. This is what it says (and what the Church has always held, holds now, and always will believe) about a just war:
“(2265), Legitimate defence can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defence of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility.
(2309) The strict conditions for legitimate defence by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time:
The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
There must be serious prospects of success;
The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.
These are the traditional elements enumerated in what is called the “just war” doctrine.
The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good.”
As a whole, it was just for the soldiers to take up the cross and fight. Individually, it is between themselves and God whether they did it for self-glory or God’s glory, for worldly wealth or Heavenly life, with virtue or with vice. After hundreds of years of avoiding war while offences were made against pilgrims and people in Christendom, the Church obviously looked at the situation and saw it just to finally fight back. So while some may blame the Church for fighting, others may blame the Church for not defending Christendom sooner.
God doesn’t see any one person as a winner, loser, or enemy; He sees all as His children. You and the person who may bombard you with questions were not present at the time of the Crusades, so you both need to attempt to see it with understanding for all people involved. We should make that effort to understand each other as Christ does instead of pointing fingers at blame, and we should seek justice and love mercy in all our actions. Sometimes those actions require you to fight in order to establish peace, and looking at history, you will be able to see the need to take up a sword from the Church’s perspective.
2. The Catholic Faith as distinguished from imperfect Catholics
That being said, let’s focus on those who fought justly, virtuously, and mercifully. They are the examples that we applaud as Catholics. Perhaps they made mistakes along the way, but they came out saints. The Christian faith challenges followers to do the most difficult things in the world, such as accept suffering with joy and love your neighbor, which Christian people cannot always perfectly live out. That people fail does not discredit the perfect faith in Christ for which imperfect people strive.
Just a few examples of people who fought the good fight for Christ:
St. Louis IX
St. Nicasius of Jerusalem
St. Matthew of Beauvais
Bl. Charles the Good
St. Peter Nolasco
Many of these saints founded religious orders, were martyred after refusing to deny Christ, and did amazing things with God’s help, such as freeing hundreds of Christians from capture, fighting heresy, and helping the poor, even if it led to the wealthy conspiring against him. (See about Bernard of Quintavalle). You can also read about St. Francis of Assisi and why he supported the Crusades, telling a sultan, “It is just that Christians invade the land you inhabit, for you blaspheme the name of Christ and alienate everyone you can from His worship.” Instead of being defensive when someone questions you on this topic, be proud of those saints and grateful for their defence of our shared faith.
Templar Chant "Da Pacem Domine"
We seek to imitate those who imitate Christ, and we pray for those who failed to do so. We practice our Catholic faith while on earth. Don’t let others’ failure to follow Christ cause you to stop practicing. The world needs more sinners humbly aspiring to be saints; not more sinners parading themselves as saints. Maybe then, more people will turn to the Church with genuine interest in Christ’s salvation instead of pointing fingers.
The Crusades inspire me to be a better follower of Christ so that those around me hopefully will see what a Catholic should be doing to practice their faith even at the most difficult times, see that it is good, and choose to follow Christ as well.
3. Our forefathers’ robust faith compared to our own
Speaking of being good Catholics, look at our forefathers’ faith! They fought for the Holy Land, Christ, and each other’s lives to be safe. They came out with saints and sinners and won and lost battles. Their enthusiasm appears much greater than our own.
Myths of the Crusades
Now, look at yourself…
Would you cower and mumble if someone oppressed your faith or proclaim God’s glory and chant songs of His praise loudly?
Are you willing to help those persecuted across the world or do you just hope the problems stay away from you?
Do you answer the Holy Spirit when called, or do you avoid being enthusiastic about your faith?
Our ancestors were devout in Christendom, but we aren’t in a very Christian world anymore. That is no reason to make your faith less of a priority—God should always be first priority.
Being surrounded by people who need Christ is a reason to be even more vibrantly a Christian!
Wear a cross. Carry a Bible. Pray before and after meals. Tell others about God. And, if necessary and just, put on your armour and defend yourself and others. Don’t be ashamed of your faith because other people misunderstand the Church!
It’s okay to be a Crusader for Christ as long as you’re appropriately serving God. Furthermore, it is absolutely wonderful to be Catholic, despite what people mistakenly think about our Church. Know that you are part of a strong and loving faith community.
Educate yourself by asking knowledgeable people in your life questions and reading informative books on the real history of the Crusades. This benefits you and anyone who may seek an answer from you about the Crusades.
History and Myths of the Knights Templar
June & July
On 25 June 1203, King John confirmed to the Templars the gift of Guy de Bonaincurt, which Hugh Balliol had confirmed, of the vill of Westerdale, and this was one of the estates for which free warren was granted to the Templars in 1248.
A critical trial was held at Poitiers between 28 June and 2 July 1308, where at least 54 Templars testified before the pope and his commission of cardinals. A considerable number of defendants confessed to one or more of the charges. When asked if their statements were freely given, many said that while they had been tortured or threatened, restricted to bread and water, and other forms of harsh treatments had been imposed on them, their confessions were not the results of any torture. In 1310 at least three said they had lied before the Pope and now wished to defend the order.
June, the Templars surrendered, their properties and treasure seized, and they were held at Khirokitia and later Yermasoyia, then finally Pano Lefkara, where they remained for three years.
1308 (February) Clement suspends proceedings (27 June) 72 Templars confess before Clement.
1311 (5 June) Papal hearings finally end.
1314 (24 June) Battle of Bannockburn, Robert the Bruce joined the Templars and Hospitallers into a new Order of the Temple and of St. John.
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Many of us have heard of the great feats accomplished by the knights and saints in medieval times; perhaps certain names come to mind: Robert of Molesme, Saint Dominic de Guzman, Saint Benedict of Nursia, Saint Bruno, Saint Francis of Assisi, or Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. Perhaps we have heard of their followers’ heroic battles, whether those won with cries of victory on the field or those won with silent courage and preserving sacrifice within a monastery. All of them were great saints whose way of Christian living captivated others and led to the formation of various religious orders. Each had its particular path but had the same goal: Christ.
Besides a moment of simple fun and perhaps one to learn more about the history of the Church, we hope that in learning more about these great men and their orders, each one might be inspired to live their Christian lives with even greater radicality and fervour. Albeit in our way, each of us is called to respond generously to the Lord’s call with our talents and in our particular situations as they did.
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What Medieval Times Religious Order Would You Belong To?
You, Rev. Eric Michel, would belong to the order of the Knights Templar
from Catholic Link (Try it)
The Knights Templars were the earliest founders of the military orders and are the type on which the others are modelled. In 1119, the French knight, Hugues de Payens, approached King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and Warmund, Patriarch of Jerusalem and proposed creating a monastic order for the protection of those pilgrims in the Holy Land.
The order owed its rapid growth in popularity to the fact that it combined the two great passions of the Middle Ages, religious fervour and martial prowess. Having renounced all the pleasures of life, they faced death with a proud indifference; they were the first to attack, the last to retreat, always docile to the voice of their leader, the discipline of the monk being added to the discipline of the soldier. As an army, they were never very numerous. A contemporary tells us that there were 400 knights in Jerusalem at the zenith of their prosperity; he does not give the number of more numerous sergeants. But it was a picked body of men who, by their noble example, inspirited the remainder of the Christian forces.
Templars were often the advance shock troops in key battles of the Crusades, as the heavily armoured knights on their warhorses would set out to charge at the enemy, ahead of the main army bodies, to break opposition lines. One of their most famous victories was in 1177 during the Battle of Montgisard, where some 500 Templar knights helped several thousand infantry to defeat Saladin’s army of more than 26,000 soldiers.
Rev. Eric Michel belongs to them because of his strength and desire for conquest. Rev. Eric Michel is willing to risk his own life for others and for the Catholic Faith.