The Massacre at Béziers

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The Massacre at Béziers occurred during the sack of Béziers, a small town in the Occitanie region, in Southern France, on the 22^nd July 1209.  It was the first major military action of the Albigensian Crusade, when the Crusaders of the Catholic Church attacked those they considered heretics.  Thousands of civilians, including women and children, were brutally killed.  The Papal legate and abbot of the Cistercian order, Arnaud Amalric said, “Caedite eos.  Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius,” meaning, “Kill them.  For the Lord knows those that are His own,” when he was told that there were innocents in the town.  

Matthew 19:14

¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the children be, do not keep them back from me; the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 

¹⁴ ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν: Ἄφετε τὰ παιδία καὶ μὴ κωλύετε αὐτὰ ἐλθεῖν πρός με: τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. 

¹⁴ Jesus vero ait eis: Sinite parvulos, et nolite eos prohibere ad me venire: talium est enim regnum cælorum. 

Whilst Jesus (a.s.) said that, Abbot Arnaud Amalric was enthusiastic about sending them to Jesus (a.s.).