A Little Christine Thouzellier Sampler – Part 1: The Cathar Lord’s Prayer with its Commentary

1982 sculpture by Jean-Luc Séverac,

Stella in remembrance of the Cathar  victims

of the inquisition in 1210.

Picture by Guilhelma, at Wikimedia Commons.

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Today’s sharing from the Blue House of Via-HYGEIA, is the first of a planned few dedicated to the memory of professor Christine Thouzellier (1902–1988), here about ‘the Cathar Lord’s Prayer with its Commentary‘.

Section I is an article by Franjo Šanjek, one of her students giving contextual information about the ‘Cathar Ritual‘ and section II is an excerpt from the end of the introduction (from page 190 to 192) and section III, the prayer itself with its commentary. Source: the ‘Rituel Cathare: Introduction, Texte Critique, Traduction et Notes‘, in Sources Chrétiennes 236. — Éditions du Cerf, Paris, 1977. From page 197 to 219. English translation from the original French by Via-HYGEIA.

Again, we could not find a picture of Professor Christine Thouzellier. It does showcase the severe memory issue in the academic world, where scholars of the older generation-that of the pre and post-second world war era-as persons ought to fade away in front of their work, resulting that little is known about the person itself and their entourage, especially when years go by, when later generations look back at them without having a clue about who they were. (There are some blatant exceptions, such as Henry Corbin and Carl Jung; they were the fore-runners of the scholars ‘with a fan based following‘ who early knew very well how to use the media of their time to reach audiences outside the academic world). As we live in a multi-media era in which the academia accommodates very well its communication and does reach audiences outside the academia, it is un-conceivable to let some of the ‘lesser known scholars’ who were actually light-houses in their field of expertise, gently ‘walk into their good night‘, incognito: It is our duty to resist these damnatio-memoriae-by-negligence!

Professor Thouzellier was a director of studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (E.P.H.E.–5th section), specializing in medieval heresies, particularly Cathar movements. Her students included Annie Cazenave, Anne Brenon, and Franjo Šanjek. Those who knew her describe a woman of strong character, plagued by severe health handicap struggling to move with a cane and crutches, and very attentive to her students. She was a rigorous philologist and historian, focusing on textual accuracy and doctrinal orthodoxy within heresy. Her approach was source-critical. She insisted on reading Cathar texts within their medieval context, avoiding anachronistic interpretations.

As she rejected popular and esoteric readings of Catharism and its ritual, she came into a fierce polemical stand off with Renat Nelli (a.k.a. René Nelli), whose work she saw as speculative, arguing that Catharism should be understood as a medieval Christian heresy, not a timeless Gnostic mystery religion.

Renat Nelli (1906–1982) was a French scholar deeply influenced by Occitan culture and esotericism. His work on Catharism tended toward romanticizing Catharism as a spiritual resistance movement against Catholic oppression. He emphases dualist metaphysics, seeing Catharism as a continuation of Gnostic and Manichaean traditions. His interpretation of the Cathar ritual was symbolic, sometimes projecting later esoteric ideas onto medieval texts.

Christine Thouzellier highlighted how Catholic anti-heretical writings shaped perceptions of Catharism, urging caution in reconstructing Cathar theology. She argued that Cathar dualism was more biblical and less philosophical, rooted in apocalyptic New Testament interpretations (e.g., the “God of this world” in 2 Cor 4:4) contrary to Nelli’s claims that Catharism was a radical dualist tradition, influenced by Platonic and Gnostic thought, with cosmic and metaphysical depth.

Christine Thouzellier insisted that the ‘Cathar Ritual‘ was derived from Bogomil missionary activity, mediated through Byzantine and Balkan Christian heresies, contrary to Nelli’s claims that possible pre-Christian influences (e.g., Iranian or Manichaean dualism) were at play. Renat Nelli sometimes treated Catharism as a secret wisdom tradition, with hidden meanings in rituals; while Christine Thouzellier rejected this, seeing Catharism as a literalist, ascetic reform movement, not a mystery cult.

Renat Nelli’s influence persists in popular and esoteric circles, where Catharism is often mythologized; his cultural and symbolic interpretations still shape Occitan regional identity and alternative religious histories. Christine Thouzellier’s work remains foundational for academic medieval heresy studies, emphasizing textual and historical precision. Her lauded philological rigor has held up better in academic scholarship.

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Section I

A Contextual Introduction,

by Franjo Šanjek, one of her students

‘From early Christianity, the richness of biblical and patristic texts allowed for diverse liturgical practices for entering the Church. Candidates (catechumens) underwent lengthy preparation to learn the mysteries of the faith, culminating in a scrutiny (examination), the recitation of the Credo and Pater (Lord’s Prayer), and the reading of the Gospels. The Elect (electi) were then admitted to baptism.

The Roman Church later abandoned these rites, but medieval dualists (Cathars) revived elements of this early practice. While much has been written about Cathar ecclesiastical organization and doctrine, their initiation rites—despite their resemblance to primitive Christian liturgy, as noted by J. Guiraud (1907, 1935) and A. Dondaine—remained understudied. Christine Thouzellier’s 1977 critical edition of the ‘Cathar Ritual‘ fills this gap.

Christine Thouzellier’s work revisits the text published in 1939 by Father Dondaine (based on the sole surviving Florentine manuscript), adding an extensive introduction, critical annotations, a French translation, and indexes. She compares the Latin Cathar ritual to the Provençal Cathar liturgy and other traditions. Here are the key Findings:

Liturgical Parallels

The Latin ritual (early 13th century, predating the Provençal version) contains no attacks on the Roman Church. It references the Old Testament 17 times and the New Testament 46 times.

Initiation Rite

The Tradition orationis dominicae (handing down of the Lord’s Prayer) mirrors early Christian catechumenate practices. The liturgical use of the Pater aligns with the Didache, Apostolic Constitutions, Church Fathers, and Roman sacramentaries (e.g., the Gelasian Sacramentary).The ritual concludes with a doxology from Revelation 5:13, also found in early Christian and Eastern liturgies—later adopted by Vatican II.

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The Consolamentum

Cathars rejected water baptism (viewing matter as diabolical) and instead conferred the Consolamentum through dual imposition: hands and the Gospel book on the candidate’s head. Requirements included vows of truth, charity, humility, and asceticism (e.g., no killing, adultery, or certain foods). Christine Thouzellier traces the rite’s roots to biblical impositions (Pentateuch) and the Apostolic Tradition (2nd century).

Historical Context

Christine Thouzellier demonstrates that Cathars borrowed from early Roman liturgical texts, a significant discovery. She compares the ritual to Eastern monastic professions and analyzes inquisitorial accounts of Cathar practices.

Conclusion

Christine Thouzellier’s edition is not merely a reprint of Dondaine’s 1939 text but a major historical contribution. Her meticulous scholarship illuminates Cathar beliefs, their liturgical overlaps with Catholicism, and their place within medieval heresies. This work is indispensable for scholars of medieval religious culture.’

— Franjo Šanjek (University of Zagreb, Yugoslavia). A review of Christine Thouzellier, ‘Cathar Ritual: Introduction, Critical Text, Translation, and Notes‘, in Sources Chrétiennes 236. — Éditions du Cerf, Paris, 1977. Source: ‘Heresis‘, n°1, 1983. pp. 54-55.

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Section II

Excerpt from the last pages

of the introduction

‘…Finally, we ought to keep in mind the long analysis of the ‘Cathar Ritual‘ we just have made, to notice how much its liturgy reflects the whole order of  the primitive Christian worship. It is anchored upon the norms of the religious ceremonies established by the Church of the early centuries, from the ‘ordo scruniorum‘ to the choice of the assembly, through the probations, the ‘traditio orationis‘, the laying of the Gospel and of the hands, etc., and of commitment of the Elect or Perfect.

This baptism of the spirit does in no way correspond to the formula of the religious creed described by B. Petranovic, and common in the Basilian monasteries-especially for what matters most: The ‘comforting Spirit’ duly invoked by the Cathars. That the creed of the Basilian monk has taken, bit by bit, a ‘second baptism’ character is possible, and that some of the formulas offer some  resonances and similitudes with the heretical ceremony, there is nothing surprising there: both borrow their  elements to the religious practices of primitive Christianity.

Since then, quite an important amount of ritual manifestations have disappeared from within the Christian Church, and Catharism took over some of them during the XIIth and XIIIth centuries: It does not innovate. Its rite follows the initial norms of the baptism of adults preceded by the catechism of the early Christians; much better, its commentary of the Lord’s Prayer, in the Latin manuscript held in Florence, is quite close to the the gloss of the Gelasian sacramentary, penned by Chromace of Aquilae and reflects the traditions of the church of Africa and northern Italy.

We have demonstrated all along this introduction that the Cathar ceremony is a true ordination to access to the state of Perfect or to receive the episcopal office. It sums up, in its two parts, the diverse solemnities that, during the IV and V centuries, the primitive Church did practice for the baptism, the transmission of the Lord’s Prayer, the reconciliation of the sinners, and the consecration of the bishops.

Any initiatic liturgy manifests, in diverse cults, common features, but with specific characters. Was Christianity not the great contributor of symbols, of initiatic rites? Phundagiagites, Bogimiles, Cathars-without excluding the others groups such as the Euchites, the Paulicians, the Messalians, etc.-only had to draw from this original common pool to feed the particular forms of their spiritualities.

This is why, when during the XIIth and XIIIth centuries the adepts of ‘the doctrine of the two principles‘ called themselves ‘Christians’ in their rituals, it is to these Christian liturgical elements they claimed for themselves that we must go back in  order to understand the merits of their ceremonies and of their pretentions.

Far from being the late representatives of the doctrine of Mani, as did the the un-enlightened critics of our time think, or the simple brothers of the Slavic and Oriental heretics-with who they still did have in common some prayers and certain ritual forms-these ‘Christians‘, were very eager to believe that they can solve the problem of evil, by opposing an evil creator principle to a unique, benevolent and transcendent God’.

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Section III

The Cathar Lord’s Prayer

& its commentary

 Of the reception of the holy prayer

2. By this you ought to understand that, now, you are about to receive this holy prayer, the ‘Pater Noster‘. Even though it is brief, but it contains great things. When we ought to say: ‘Our Father‘, must honor Him through good deeds. The Son is called : Love of the Father; therefore, if we desire to be the heirs, we ought to abstain from evil actions.

The expression, ‘Our Father‘ (Pater noster) is a vocative, like we would say: ‘ O Father of those who alone must be saved‘.

‘Who is in the Heavens‘ (qui es in celis), means: who dwells among the saints, or the celestial virtues. And this is why it can be said: ‘Our Father who is in the Heavens‘, to mark the difference with the devil father, who is a liar and father of the evil ones (those who are deprived of any salvatory mercy). And this is why we say: ‘Our Father‘.

‘Hallowed be Thy Name‘ (sanctificetur nomen tuum): by ‘name of God‘ designate the law of Christ, as we would say: ‘May your law strengthen your people!‘.

‘Thy Kingdom come!’ (adveniat regnum tuum): By ‘rule of God’, we mean Christ, as he said in the Gospel: ‘Here is that the rule of God is among you‘ (Luke, 17, 21), or again ‘rule of God‘ is designating God’s people that will be saved; implying: ‘bring your people out of the land of the enemy!‘ (Jeremiah, 31, 16). This is why the prophet Joel says: ‘Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say: ‘Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Let not the people say: ‘Where is their God?”(Joel, 2, 17). And this is reason why everyday the Christians invoke their infinitely benevolent Father for the sake of the people of God.

‘Thy Will be done on earth as it is on Heaven‘ (fiat voluntas tua, sicut in celo et in terra), like we would say: ‘Thy Will be done upon these people who live by the earthly nature, as it is vindicated in the kingdom above‘, or when Christ says: ‘I did not come to follow my will, by the Will of my Father who sent me.’ (John, 6,38).

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3. ‘Our supersubstantial bread‘ (panem nostrum supersubstancialem): by ‘supersubstantial bread‘ is meant Christ’s Law which has been dispensed for the whole of the people. This is why, it seems, Isaiah says of this bread: ‘In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, ‘We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name!‘  (Isaiah, 4, 1). And David says: ‘I have been hit like hay; my heart has dried out to such an extent that I have forgotten to eat my bread’ (Psalm, 101, 5). And from the Book of Wisdom: ‘You gave your people Angel food and you have provided from the Heavens a bread ready to hand, untoiled-for, endowed with all delights and conforming to every taste. For this substance of yours revealed your sweetness toward your children, and serving the desire of the one who received it, was changed to whatever flavor each one wished.’ (Wisdom, 16, 21). And through Isaiah God Says: ‘Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?‘ (Isaiah, 58,7). It is about this bread that Jeremiah speaks of in Lamentations 4, 4: ‘the children beg for bread, but no one to break it to them.’

And in the Gospel of John, Christ says to the Jews: ‘Jesus said to them: Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world‘ (John 6, 32-33). and also: ‘Then Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’ (John 6, 35). And also here: ‘Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world‘ (John 6, 47-51). Which means: for the life of the people. Further we have: ‘Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink’ (John 6, 53-55). Elsewhere, Christ says: ‘My food, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work‘ (John 4, 34). And here also: ‘Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them‘(John 6, 54-56). It is quite true that the false priest do not eat the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that they do not drink of his blood, because they do no dwell in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is why, the blessed John in his first Epistle, says: ‘But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did’(1 John 2, 5-6).

And it is written about this bread in the Gospel of the blessed Matthew: ‘While they were eating, Jesus took bread‘, meaning the spiritual precepts of the Law of the Prophets, ‘and he blessed it‘, meaning that he praise it and confirmed it, ‘and he broke it‘, meaning he explained the spiritual sense, ‘and he gave it to his disciples‘, meaning that he urged them to abide by them; ‘and then he said: take‘, which means keep them, ‘and eat’, meaning share them with others’ (Matthew, 26,26). In the same meaning, it was proclaimed to the blessed John the evangelist: ‘Take the scroll and eat it‘ (Apoc 10, 9). And  elsewhere: ‘The angel says: You must prophecy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings’ (Apoc 10, 10). And Jesus to continue: ‘This is my flesh‘. Here, Christ speaks of the bread, ‘this is my flesh‘; and earlier he did say: ‘This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world‘ (John 6, 51). It is, it seems, that he speaks about the precepts of the Law and of the Prophets understood spiritually, when he says: ‘this is my flesh‘, or ‘my body‘-like he is saying: ‘I am here, I live here.’ This is why, in the first epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle says: ‘the chalice of benediction that we bless, is it not a communication from the blood of Christ? And the bread that we break, is it not a participation to the body of our Lord?‘ Because there is but one bread, even though we are numerous, we are but one body; we are many but it is to one bread and to one chalice that we participate spiritually, a unique thought: the Law of the Prophets and of the Gospel (gloss upon 1 Cor 11 23-25). And here also: ‘For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which will be given up for you‘, like Jesus would say: these spiritual precepts of the ancient scriptures are my body, for you they will be given up to the people, ‘do this in remembrance of me‘. In the same way, after supper he took the chalice, saying, ‘This chalice is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me‘ (1 Cor 11 23-25). Such is the meaning of the expression: Supersubstantial bread.

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4. Coming next is: ‘Give us today‘ (da nobis hodie), which means: in this time of Grace, or as long as we are dwelling in this temporal life, give us your strength so that we may accomplish perfectly the Law of your Son Jesus Christ.

‘And relieve us from our debts‘ (dimitte nobis debita nostra), which means that you will not keep a grudge on us about sins committed and of the past, as we are eager to follow the precepts of your Son.

‘As we are relieving our debtors from theirs‘ (sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris), which means that we also do not keep a grudge upon our persecutors and all those who did harm to us.

‘And induce us not into temptation‘ (et ne nos inducas in temptationem), which means do not allow us to be any further induced into temptation, after we have desired following your Law. Now, on one hand we have a carnal temptation and on the other hand a diabolical temptation. We call a diabolical temptation, that which proceeds from the heart by the suggestion of the devil, such as error, iniquitous thoughts, hate and similar things. We call carnal temptation, that which comes from human nature, like hunger, thirst, cold and similar things, and this one, we cannot avoid it. This is why, in the first epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle says: ‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear‘ (1 Cor 10, 13).

‘But deliver us from evil‘ (sed libera nos a malo), which means from the devil, who is the tempter of the faithful, and from his works.

‘For yours is the kingdom‘ (quoniam tuum est regnum)-this text is found, we are told, in the Greek and Hebrew books, implying: here is the reason for which you must grant us what we ask: we are your people.

‘and the strength‘ (et virtus), implying: you have the power to save us.

‘and the glory‘ (et gloria), implying: to you the praises and the honors, if you grant your people that.

‘For the centuries‘ (in secula), implying: in the celestial creatures (id est in celestibus creaturis).

‘Amen‘ (Amen), implying: without defect (id est sine defectu).

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5. This is why, you must understand that if you are eager to receive this prayer, you must repent from all of your sins, and forgive to all other humans, as it is shown in the Gospel, when Christ says: ‘For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins‘ (Matt 6, 14-15).

Likewise, you must resolve in your heart to observe this holy prayer throughout your whole life, if God grants you the grace to receive it, according to the custom of the Church of God, with obedience and chastity and all the other virtues of goodness that God has wished to grant you.

Wherefore we pray to the good Lord, who grants the disciples of Jesus Christ the power to receive this prayer with firmness, for his honor and for your salvation. Have mercy upon us!

Then the ordained person should take the book from the believer’s hands and say: ‘John – if that is his name – do you have the will to receive this holy prayer as mentioned and to retain it throughout your life with chastity and truth and humility and with all the other good virtues that God has wished to grant you?’

And the believer should respond: ‘Yes, I have, ask the holy father that he may grant me his power.’ And the ordained person should say: ‘May God grant you the grace to receive it for his honor and your salvation!‘

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Source

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Appendix

MINERVA: The Stele

Stele created by Jean-Luc Severac in 1982
(excerpt from the press release, distributed at the inauguration of the stele).

“A monument currently stands on the presumed site of the Cathar pyre of Minerva. The Occitan inscription “als catars” means “to the Cathars.” The author wanted the monument to be as simple as possible.

“It is a sculpture of light,” he says, “a solar sign, a monument to peace. Light, the sun, and peace are the forces that Catharism represents. The Cathars rose above matter.

That is why I did not make a stone dove, but a dove of light. Light, that is, the absence of matter, is the only thing that can symbolize Catharism.”

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