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Dulcinians

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TheDulcinianswere a religious sect of theLate Middle Ages,originating within theApostolic Brethren.The Dulcinians, or Dulcinites, and Apostolics were inspired byFranciscanideals and influenced by theJoachimites,but were consideredhereticalby theCatholic Church.Their name derives from the movement's leader,Fra DolcinoofNovara(ca. 1250–1307), who wasburnedas a heretic on the orders ofPope Clement V.

History

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The Dulcinian sect began in 1300 whenGherardo Segarelli,founder of theApostolic Brethren,wasburned at the stakeinParmaduring a brutal repression of the Apostolics. His followers went into hiding to save their lives. Fra Dolcino had joined the Apostolics between 1288 and 1292, and became their leader. He published the first of his letters explaining his ideas about the epochs of history based on the theories ofGioacchino da Fiore.

Fra Dolcino, at the beginning of 1303, reunited the Apostolic movement nearLake Garda.He metMargaret of Trent(real name Margherita Boninsegna, his lover orsister in spirit), and wrote the second letter to the Apostolics. At the beginning of 1304, three Dulcinians were burned by theInquisition,leading Dolcino to evacuate the community to the west side of theSesiavalley, near his native Novara. At the end of 1304, only 1400 survived on the top of Mount Parete Calva, in the fortifiedPiano dei Gazzari.They descended the mountain topillageand kill the people in the valley, responsible in their eyes for not defending the group against theepiscopaltroops. The villagers called them "Gazzari"(Cathars), and joined the soldiers in opposition.

Dolcino justified the acts committed by the Dulcinians by affirming their perfection and holiness based onSaint Paul'sEpistle to Titus(1:15):

To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted.

Margaret and Dolcino were captured and executed.

Theories

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The main concepts of the Dulcinians were:

  • The fall of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and return of the Church to its original ideals ofhumilityandpoverty;
  • The fall of thefeudal system;
  • Human liberation from any restraint, and from entrenched power;
  • Creation of a newegalitariansociety based on mutual aid and respect, holding property in common and respecting gender equality.

Fra Dolcino was inspired by themillenarist theoriesofGioacchino da Fiore.He viewed the history of humanity as 4epochs:

In his first letter, Dolcino gave his interpretation of the seven Angels and seven Churches of theApocalypse of John:

  • The Angel of Ephesus wasSaint Benedict,and his church was the monastic order;
  • The Angel of Pergamom was Pope Sylvester I, and his church was the clerical order;
  • The Angel of Sardis wasSaint Francis,and his church was theFriars Minor;
  • The Angel of Laodicea wasSaint Dominic,and his church was theFriars Preacher;
  • The Angel of Smyrna wasGerard of Parma,and his church was the Apostolic Brethren;
  • The Angel of Thyatira was Fra Dolcino, and his church was the Dulcinian movement;
  • The Angel of Philadelphia would be thenew holy pope,and the last three churches would constitute "the new church of these new days".

Following the death ofBoniface VIII,Dolcino produced a schedule of 4 popes:

Thus, the advent of the "new holy pope" was postponed to the second pope after the death of Boniface VIII. Dolcino never proposed himself as the new Pope in his letters, although this was one of the accusations of theInquisition.

The rallying cryPoenitentiam agite(Do penance) was attributed to them inThe Name of the Rose,a novel byUmberto Eco.

See also

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Bibliography

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