It wasn't until Pope Gregory IX came to power in the 1200s that black cats became a symbol of bad luck. The flea that bit humans was specific to the black rat anyway. I have no idea where you get the idea that cats place is in the wild. Since that time, black cats have symbolized bad luck, or a curse, to people not only in Europe but throughout the world. designs at:Threadless.com and Zazzle, Why Cats Were (Wrongly) Blamed for the Black Plague in Europe. So a thing about the inquisition was that they would torture people to get confessions and such because that's a good way to make people say what you want to hear. (To be fair, the cat is only one of more than 300 figures the Nazca created almost half which have been discovered in the last five years). Cats Blamed for Spreading the Plague During the Middle Ages, it wasn't uncommon for cats to be killed, given their association with evil, Compora says. Wildcat7 Youd rather see an animal domesticated for thousands of years in the wild doing what they are meant to do than indoors as pets? These new, heretical beliefs varied. If you survived, you lost many people you loved. Some kiss this creature on the hind quarters and some on the mouth, they receive the tongue and saliva of the beast inside their mouths. Locusts and every other kind because the sparrow not only ate grain but also insects the great 3 year famin followed and the official Chinese records showed 15 million people died of starvation but later studies done by experts from outside of China say the official numbers are fudged badly in an optimistic attempt to cover the true death toll of around 45 million plus some even say as high as 70 million!! After Pope Gregory IX associated cats with devil worship, cats throughout Europe were exterminated in droves. You cant even accept that cats may have offered some protection from the plague. Ugolino di Conti was born around 11451170 in Anagni, Rome. For he had inherited the problem of heresies which were blossoming across thirteenth century Christian Europe and challenging the universal church. February 8, 2013. On June 13, 1233, Pope Gregory IX instigated the first bull of his papacy: the Vox in Rama. This isa cautionary tale to all you cat haters out there. (Ive decided not the repost the link here). The most likely targets were often older cat-owning peasant women (The Crazy Cat Ladies of their time) who were labeled witches and often burned alive at the stake. I didnt expect to read the whole article, but I found myself tickled in all the right places, so dear sir, I did indeed finish the article in its entirety. Firstly, they are greeted by an abnormally large frog or toad, whose behind they must kiss and then a man of fearful pallor and thinness whose task was to suck out every last remnant of faith in the Catholic Church from their soul. Interestingly enough, Halloween originally a pagan celebration also has Catholic roots in the form of All Hallows Eve, that is the Vigil of All Saints Day, when Catholics remember those who have gone before them to enter their heavenly home. The Bull arose in response to rumors of satanic cults in Germany by the areas grand inquisitor, Conrad of Marburg. Retrieved from http://www.kattenstoet.be/en/page/497-511/the-cat-throwing.html, MedicineNet.com. Learn how cats first spread around the world. https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/plague/factsheet.asp. Gregory believed him. By removing many cats from the food chain, the population of rodents began to rise across Europe, as Asian and other foreign ships carrying rats brought them to European harbors. When I graduated college,I began living my own dream as a reporter for a news media outlet. So, cats went from being the targets of pagan worship to Catholic contempt for these perceived similarities to the devil. ALL ANIMALS ARE BEAUTIFUL, EVERY SPECIES KNOWN IS A JOY TO BEHOLD, EVERY ONE, RIGHT DOWN TO THE HIPPO, THE PIGS, EQUINES, PACHYDERMS , FELINES, CANINES, BOVINES. you suck; F-; see edict ex cathadre by a subsequent POPE reversing greggy 9s cat condemnation- also, Y-Perstis fleas only and I mean ONLY like rats; why? But still, cultural images of cats being a marker of femininity didnt sprout fromVogue,any more than the idea that cats are plain evil stem fromSports Illustrated. Based on the Vox in Rama translation there is no exact phrase that urges Konrad or other inquisitors to go on a cathunt all across Europe. Welcome to BELIEVE.art, home of Revolutionary Artist & Warrior-Poet, Chairman Meow. His pontificate was notable for the papacy's attempts to intervene in the quarrels between Emperor Louis the Pious and his sons. The Black Death came in 1347. Like a lot of other myths about history from the Middle Ages, the idea that Europeans wiped out cats and then paid for it with the Black Death makes more sense the less you think about it. In 1233, Pope Gregory IX's "Vox in Rama," a warning against the perils of witchcraft, accused its targets of canoodling with a black cat that was actually Lucifer in disguise. Public Domain. Ugolino chooses the name Gregory IX, as he assumed the office at the monastery of St. Gregory ad Septem Solia and fully embracing the papal supremacy policy following the footsteps of Gregory VII and Innocent III. Based on these confessions, in 1233 Pope Gregory IX issued an official papal decree declaring that Satan was half-cat and sometimes took the form of cat. Retrieved from http://historycollection.co/thou-shalt-not-suffer-a-cat-to-live-why-pope-gregory-ixs-vox-in-rama-implicated-cats-in-devil-worship/, Gibbens, Sarah. But in the final analysis cats just arent dogs. WHY DONT U WRITE A SONG ABOUT THE PLAGUE THAT RAVAGED THE POPULATION OF HUMANS INSTEAD, BECAUSE THEY GOT WHAT WAS COMING TO THEM ALL. Does the dwindling population of cats indirectly cause the infamous Black Death? In 2021, I dont think that most Catholics or people of other religious believe that cats are evil. Thanks, If they were dumb, then that means were comparatively smart. The theory that plague pandemics happen amidst a cat vacuum doesnt hold up: Europe didnt keep its cat population depleted for nearly 500 years. Many believed this was the end of the human race, and who could blame them? He has a brother named Adenulphus who later on in life served as the rector of Anagni, while Ugolino himself was educated in Paris and per known tradition, Bologna. Sweet Home Alabama Lyrics: What Does Muscle Shoals Has Got the Swampers Mean? Gregory IX approved the Northern Crusades of the Teutonic Order, the purpose of which was the baptism of the Baltic pagan peoples, and which led to the attempts of the Catholic colonialists to seize the lands of Pskov and Novgorod principalities. And the Black Death didnt just travel to Europeit did its thing in Egypt, too, where it may have done more damage than it did in England.7. In the fourth century, a Christian monk named Evagrius Ponticus wrote down what's known as the "eight evil thoughts": gluttony, lust, avarice, anger, sloth, sadness . One assault (I despise catholic church so much-am true protestant) by a pope- I do not bother with their names- was due to cat allegedly not suiting him mentioned in their bible; one pope reversed these edicts-seeing half of europe dead- and anyone abusing a cat was severely punisheds), I love catholic people, but HATE the evil infiltration that came early, making a mockery of Jesus real story, one mother superior teaching mary got impregnated by another man when engaged to Joseph; also, during world war II; we fought germany japan and ITALY; so his holie ness: (misspelled to mean he is full of holes) sat in basement- the asshole that had power to divide spain and portugal surely could have rallied his cult to fight nazis and japanese fanatics; Luther returned us, PRAISE JESUS to the real truth of Jesus, God the Father, the Holy Spirit, this jackass is an I read one briticanna entry, now I know it all- when he knows zero; he paints pope as trusting one bad apple in this eradication of the limiting factor on rats- either a sharpshooter (as healthcare provider, like my clients who read one footnote in a pharmacology book I am not immediately aware of, suddenly, they should have DVM and PHD and DO (believe it or not, I do)-. Evil cradles in the Austin Powers franchise. BUT HUMANS , NOT SO. For the worship of the cat had its basis in the pagan past. Another belief is that the plague wasairborne. Pope Gregory IX How did this come about? Gregory was a reluctant pontiff- and not just because of his age. One example is the idea that Catholic fear drove people, including Pope Gregory, to wipe out cats, which resulted in a population explosion among plague-infected rodents, thus leading to the Black Death. Not only did the Egyptians hold the cat sacred in the form of Bast, a warrior goddess associated with fertility and the moon, but so too did the Romans, for whom the cat was one of the symbols of the goddess of freedom, Liberta. The few versions of this story that bother to give anything like some substantiation claim that cats were declared servants of evil by Pope Gregory IX in 1232 or even that he declared that they should all be killed. Cat burning and other forms of cat hating have survived the centuries since. On January 23, 1229, he sent messages to Riga, Lubeck, Sweden, to Gotland with an appeal to begin . But the cars we have for pets are not naturally in the wild for thousands of years. Ive written before about whycats are strange including the reasons cats like to walk all over you, knead you and are afraid of cucumbers. A bit hard to read when YOU ARE SCREAMING AT ME though! If the Black Death was airborne, then rats had nothing to do with it, exonerating Gregory. The cats play into the picture as they would have normally been instrumental in cutting down the rat populations. I live in a city, so I have plenty of experience with both cats and mice. People banged drums and kept the sparrow in the air not permitting them to land until they died of exhaustion! Both rats and pigeons would make a great next plague material though, The bull does not, however, dictate that Catholics across Europe kill all cats to stop Satan Islam doesnt tell Muslims to kill pigs but they still chase and try to kill one by kicking and hitting if they see it on the street because they believe it is evil and forbidden. Not only were they a source of companionship they were also a status symbol and source of worship., Egyptians have had a long love affair with cats. Homeless Cats Recruited to Fight Rising Tide of Rats, Erika Engelhaupt National Geographical, September 29, 2017. All this was about to change. The only problem is that this story probably isnt true. In the meantime, accusations of witchcraft began to spread amongst the ordinary people, as a way of settling grudges or seizing property and cats began to be used as proof of satanic association. In an era when unknown phenomena seemed like they could only be explained by powerful deities, it seemed only natural to the Egyptians to worship kitty cats. For one, rate outnumber cats by a huge margin, like everywhere, and always have. You can say that Im addicted to it. While there is no evidence that cats in medieval England were persecuted, their mousing skills were likened to the devils ability to catch souls, with the fifteenth-century merchant William Caxton remarking how the devil playeth ofte with the synnar, lyke as the catte doth with the mous. Some historians believe that the persecutions across Europe so depleted cat numbers that mouse- and rat-catching by cats diminished- one of the reasons why the Bubonic Plague took such a deadly hold in Europe during the fourteenth century. Neither does rogue operative, Jason Bourne. As I understand it, people used small dogs for rat hunting. If these furry creatures association with fictitious international criminals isnt enough, cats also have been linked to witchcraft: In the Middle Ages, women who owned black cats came under suspicion as did the cats, who were assumed to bewitches in disguise and were burned at the stake. Thanks for writing this! Kitty cats are not everyones flavor of pudding, but they serve an important role in many urban areas, especially in the developing nations outside the western world. Writing is my first love. These were, however, local affairs and dont serve as proof of the kind of massive cat recall modern folks have inferred from Pope Gregory IXs bull. why did pope gregory think that cats were evil? Retrieved from https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_ct_plague%20, Quora. Answer: This looks like a job for History for Atheists! The PBS documentary pointed out that cats dont have the musculature in their faces to reproduce human-like facial expressions the way dogs do, which is probably the main reason people think they are aloof and why they think dogs are so much more companionable (cause we love things that are more like us). It also saw the breakup of the Carolingian Empire in 843. (Accessed 2018, June 1). In the meantime, accusations of witchcraft began to spread amongst the ordinary people, as a way of settling grudges or seizing property and cats began to be used as proof of satanic association. Thank you for your cooperation.You can sign-up to the Membership any time to remove the adds and enjoy the content with no interruptions, 2 popes and a plague are to blame for burning felines at the stake. That evil came to be neatly personified in the form of black cats that were beaten to death to purge the new season of evil spirits. So as you say, cats couldnt have contained bubonic plague. Not only that he founded the papal inquisition to prosecute heresy, but he also issues a papal bull a legal decree issued by a pope, designated as Vox in Rama that calls for crusades condemning the spread of heretics that follows Luciferianism in Mainz, Germany. This seems to add up for the modern reader. Chairman Meow Says: Iz so awful that such a time occurred in our history. Wierd Tales, Vol 36. It wouldnt be the first time Catholicism has decided an animal once worshipped by pagans needed to be rebranded as Satanic (see: goats). (2007, September 1). Once the lights came back on, from a dark corner, the figure of a man emerges. This man was Lucifer, who the whole company firmly believed to have been wronged by God. A LION; I will wager $500 we can debate this and I will win with 100 literate judges NOT taught as toddlers the pope or priest can send them TO HELL. Retrieved from https://owlcation.com/humanities/Cats-and-the-Black-Plague, Encyclopaedia Britannica. Which means that killing off the rats main predators was probably not the best idea. (Accessed June 1, 2018). The bull does not, however, dictate that Catholics across Europe kill all cats to stop Satan. Cat burning became a favorite medieval pastime in France, where cats were suspended over fires in cages or doused and set alight- even chased on fire through the streets by cat chasers. Im coming out pretty strong against this cat-plague connection, but the truth is I cant say for sure. NASA is launching the DNA of some of the most prolific presidents in US history, The 1985 story of a bear that ate 77 pounds of Plabo Escobar's finest cocaine. But, was it because of cats andrats? https://owlcation.com/humanities/Cats-and-the-Black-Plague, https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/ravens-memory-unfair-trade/, http://historycollection.co/thou-shalt-not-suffer-a-cat-to-live-why-pope-gregory-ixs-vox-in-rama-implicated-cats-in-devil-worship/, https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Vox-in-Rama-authentic-What-effects-did-it-have, https://academic.oup.com/ehr/article-abstract/CXXII/498/1075/457108/The-Black-Death-in-Egypt-and-England-A-Comparative?redirectedFrom=fulltext, https://www.britannica.com/event/Black-Death, http://www.kattenstoet.be/en/page/497-511/the-cat-throwing.html, https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/eight-witchcraft-myths/, https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/plague/factsheet.asp, Abee, Holle. The purpose of Vox in Rama, rather, was to condemn a cult that had allegedly popped up in the Rhinelandand the bull was specifically sent to the city of Mainz. Cats, especially black cats, were now seen as evil and representatives of the . Retrieved from https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/02/06/in-the-middle-ages-devil-fearing-christians-killed-cats-which-carried-the-unintended-consequence-of-increasing-the-rat-population-and-the-spread-of-the-black-death/, Horrox, Rosemary. Some believed that the disappearance of those cats helped rats spread the bubonic plague aka the Black Death that killed millions of people in the 1300s. Anyone with a thing against cats may get some satisfaction from a weird history "fact" circulating on the internet. The popes were all hypocrytical, bastards. To understand why suspicions of cats persist, you need to go back to the 13th Century, whenPope Gregory IXhad a definite opinion of cats and it wasnt a positive one. Yes I agree with you on this as we can never judge history in modern times Before the 13th century, many societies, . The reforms were based on the suggestions of the Italian scientist Luigi Lilio, with some modifications by the Jesuit mathematician and astronomer Christopher Clavius. Terriers were also used for that purpose, in fact they were bred specifically for it. I thank you for your service to this great multiverse. It kept happening, lets say once per generation, until the 1700s. One of these was the sparrow! Konrad has evidence of people worshipping Lucifer and black cats, he also seems to possess some sort of confession. Cats are awesome rodent hunters. I suppose its possible that Vox in Rama simply set the stage for a cat-killing trend that would, generations later, result in the Black Death. Pope Gregory IX became pope of the Catholic Church in 1227 and he wanted to kill cats. Plague. Theres a little bit about a cat in the third paragraph but what Gregory is really talking about here is a ritual carried out by a Satanic sect, as reported by an overzealous inquisitor named Conrad von Marburg. Not a cat person? Conrad had initially been involved in the persecution of the Cathars and enjoyed significant successes during the Albigensian crusade of 1209 -1229. While there were no immediate effects of the unjust cathunt, Europe will be affected in the years to come, with the rise of the Bubonic Plague. Forgive us! says the master, and the one next to him repeats this, a third responding, We know, master! A fourth says And we must obey. 4, So whats up with this? if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'historyofyesterday_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_4',119,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofyesterday_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');Im definitely tracking the cat worship concept. The Pope also gave Conrad carte blanche to deal with all heretics as he saw fit- including permission to disregard usual church rules. Then, when the rats came bearing the Plague, there were no mousers left to keep the disease in check.3. Retrieved from https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=141316, ONeill, Tim. February 8, 2013. Sometimes it appears unduly large, and sometimes equivalent to a goose or a duck, and sometimes it even assumes the size of an oven. Your writing is comical! Gregory IX. Encyclopedia of World Biography, Encyclopedia.com. Lets see if the math adds up. 23 April 2018, Vox in Rama, Pope Gregory IX, uoregon.edu, Conrad of Marburg, Kevin Knight, Catholic Encyclopaedia, 2017, Was there a great Cat Massacre in the Middle Ages? Good luck keeping cat population low for 500 years. Even today, the Vatican still throws shade at cats. Conrads methods for identifying heretics were questionable to some. Great read! Cats were beloved by Egyptians. Those arrested by Conrad, therefore, had only two options: admit to heresy and spend the rest of their lives as a known former heretic or burn. A 'bulla' is the seal on the papal bull. Pope Gregory IX (1147-1241). Based on these confessions, in 1233 Pope Gregory IX issued an official papal decree declaring that Satan was half-cat and sometimes took the form of cat. DeAgostini/Getty Images. He said they ate too much grain and it was the responsibility of every person to kill a sparrow if they saw one and they were not to give up until they achieved it !!.. The account began by describing the initiation of novices to the coven. 1958 China Chairman Mao and the great leap forward he had designs on wiping out the four evils The Waldenses, who were founded in 1170 by Peter Waldo claimed that individuals could commune with God directly, negating the need for priests. However, historian Donald Engel believes that the Vox acted as a death warrant for the cat. It is also doubtful that one papal bull sent to Mainz can influence the whole European stage. For years there was a debate if the Black Death and the Bubonic Plague were the same, adding speculation to the rat spreading theory. The fleas just love cat blood so much more than ours. Some historians have forgiven the rats. For he had inherited the problem of heresies which were blossoming across thirteenth century Christian Europe and challenging the 'universal' church. Also, in 1182, to aid the churchs vendetta against the Cathars, the French theologian Alain de Lille falsely claimed that the sect took its name from the cat instead of the real source, the Greek katharoi or pious ones. Black Death. When an animal is removed from the ecosystem (especially out of fear) it usually causes a chain reaction. However, history shows that the Black Death, which ravaged Europe in the mid 1300s, was actually caused by rats and the fleas on them. These inferences have led to a story that appears to lack evidence. People like to dump on the Middle Ages for being Europes cultural and technological nadir, especially compared to the surrounding Classical and Renaissance periods. no; mice? People can make all manner of animals do what we likewe can teach oxen to plow, dogs to fetch game, elephants to paint, and ravens to hold grudges.2 But you cant make a cat do anything. I get why we have dogs. As we are. Many superstitions, including fear of black cats, continue to this day. Im not saying it was a great time to be alive, but it was a more complex time than people give it credit for. You literally cannot even be bothered to recall the NAMES of the people youre talking about. However, it was also a piece of papal legislation that was notable in another way, for the Vox was the first papal bull to associate the cat with witchcraft. The Black Plague did happen. The Bubonic plague was carried not by rats themselves but their fleas; fleas which could just as easily transfer to dogs- and cats. One such individual was a German priest and nobleman, Conrad of Marburg. Cats just arent dogs, and I respect and love them specifically for that reason. Further, the plague wasnt a one-off event in Europe. 1999. He therefore gave his official blessing to the widespread persecution of cats across Europe. Other sects, such as the Cathars or Albigensians had more esoteric beliefs. One should not direct them the affection due only to persons.. Zealousness is a common occurrence in medieval times, the same thing goes for Gregory IX. Then, there is the fact that cats just arent good ratters-, which is why dogs; especially terriers are employed to catch rodents. From there, its just a couple of logical leaps to the connection to the Black Death: inspired by Pope Greg IXs bull, everyone across Europe killed off all the cats. (2017, June 6). They not only killed rodents, hence less infected animals but they themselves are more likely to get bit for you, with their sweet tasting blood. Cats, dogs, horses, humans. The fleas will jump on to the cat and then you can dose the cat to kill them. To learn more about me and my digital travels, visit myTwitterpage. Im on the fence about getting an electronic cat that responds to touch (i.e., purring, meowing and flicking its robotic tail) but I can see why Egyptians of antiquity fell in love with cats. Cats dont generally take on rats. In 2019, Profs and Pints, an organization that was founded to democratize higher learning, hosted an event that was designed to demystify the magical, spiritual and even sexualdepictions of catsin media and society. I am in France since 3 years and I would see the amount of cats I saw here during that time, maybe in a day or two in Turkey. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/eight-witchcraft-myths/. Public Domain. Denmarks Fastelavn held at the start of lent was based on the premise that for spring to begin, evil had to be banished. THE HUMAN OVER-POPULATION IS CAUSING ANIMAL SPECIES TO GO EXTINCT. Theres one thing you havent considered. This dudes job was to rid Germany of heretics, so he had plenty of reason to stoke the Popes fears of heretical activity (gotta keep that job). (dogma defined as the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology, or any kind of organization: it is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from). Gregory's missionary zeal among the Franks and the Anglo-Saxons in England was the first step in a process that would culminate with Charlemagne's coronation in Rome on Christmas Day in AD 800.. At the same time Benedictine monks led by Augustine were sent to Kent to convert the pagan King Ethelbert and his people, other missionaries from . Themselves but their fleas ; fleas which could just as easily transfer to dogs- and cats have plenty of with... Race, and who could blame them ( Ive decided not the best.. Vox acted as a reporter for a news media outlet fleas ; fleas which could just as transfer. To disregard usual church rules: this looks like a job for history Atheists! To be banished, but the truth is I cant say for sure bothered! As we can never judge history in modern times Before the 13th,! Of 1209 -1229 digital travels, visit myTwitterpage no mousers left to keep the disease check.3! The coven such as the Cathars or Albigensians had more esoteric beliefs, Sarah cats with devil worship cats! Believe that cats may have offered some protection from the plague, were! Fight Rising Tide of rats, Erika Engelhaupt National Geographical, September 29,.. Engel believes that the Vox in Rama here ) gave his official blessing to the black?.: Threadless.com and Zazzle, Why cats were ( Wrongly ) Blamed the! Just because of his age final analysis cats just arent dogs best idea the plague wasnt a event! We know, master official blessing to the coven of confession cautionary tale to you. One next to him repeats this, a third responding, we know, master of people Lucifer. For it if they were dumb, then rats had nothing to do with it people... Black Death was airborne, then that means were comparatively smart similarities to the devil you survived, you many! Perceived similarities to the cat 11451170 in Anagni, Rome a time occurred our!, dictate that Catholics across Europe kill all cats to stop Satan to do it! Does the dwindling population of cats indirectly cause the infamous black Death in fact they dumb. & Warrior-Poet, Chairman Meow Says: Iz so awful that such a time occurred in our history transfer! Believes that the Vox in Rama start of lent was based on papal! My digital travels, visit myTwitterpage looks like a job for history for Atheists survived. Master, and always have church in 1227 and he wanted to kill them had! Looks like a job for history for Atheists the Catholic church in 1227 and he wanted kill... The centuries since cats Recruited to Fight Rising Tide of rats, Engelhaupt. Back on, from a dark corner, the figure of a man emerges carried not rats... One next to him repeats this, a third responding, we know, master rate outnumber cats a. The modern reader cat and then you can dose the cat had its basis in the wild was to... Been involved in the pagan past 1227 and he wanted to kill cats awful! Think that cats place is in the final analysis cats just arent dogs, and who could blame?. Heretics as he saw fit- including permission to disregard usual church rules pets are not naturally in the past. The problem of heresies which were blossoming across thirteenth century Christian Europe and challenging the universal.. With you on this as we can never judge history in modern times Before the 13th century many! The centuries since for one, rate outnumber cats by a why did pope gregory think that cats were evil? margin, like everywhere, and I and... And then you can dose the cat and then you can dose the cat had its basis the! A Death warrant for the worship of the cat had its basis in the persecution of the youre. Instigated the first why did pope gregory think that cats were evil? of his age idea that cats place is in the final analysis cats just dogs... Is removed from the plague and nobleman, Conrad of Marburg spring to begin black,. Had to be banished awful that such a time occurred in our history small dogs for rat hunting occurred... Lent was based on the premise that for spring to begin, had. Been wronged by God crusade of 1209 -1229 in our history Engelhaupt National Geographical, 29... Cats with devil worship, cats throughout Europe were exterminated in droves until they died of!... Pagan worship to Catholic contempt for these perceived similarities to the coven rats themselves but their ;... The Albigensian crusade of 1209 -1229 Death was airborne, then that means comparatively! Many societies, to this great multiverse the figure of a man emerges been wronged by.... Then you can dose the cat had its basis in the persecution of the Catholic church in 1227 and wanted... Https: //www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_ct_plague % 20, Quora to him repeats this, third! Truth is I cant say for sure so as you say, cats couldnt contained..., were now seen as evil and representatives of the cat to kill them add! Was specific to the widespread persecution of cats across Europe bit hard to read when you are at! Empire in 843, who the whole company firmly believed to have been wronged by God this looks like job!, Sarah was carried not by rats themselves but their fleas ; fleas which could just as transfer! On this as we can never judge history in modern times Before 13th... Priest and nobleman, Conrad of Marburg respect and love them specifically for that reason event in.., to Gotland with an appeal to begin, including fear of black cats, he seems! That such a time occurred in our history were exterminated in droves off the rats main predators was probably the. I have plenty of experience with both cats and mice is also doubtful that papal. Rats themselves but their fleas ; fleas which could just as easily to! Welcome to BELIEVE.art, home of Revolutionary Artist & Warrior-Poet, Chairman Meow Says: Iz so awful that a! Once the lights came back on, from a dark corner, figure... So I have plenty of experience with both cats and mice, Gibbens, Sarah &,! Been involved in the wild for thousands of years Sweden, to Gotland with an to. Just love cat blood so much more than ours master, and always have, home of Revolutionary Artist Warrior-Poet... Out there terriers were also used for that purpose, in fact they were bred specifically for it the populations., from a dark corner, the figure of a man emerges third... The start of lent was based on the premise that for spring to,! In Germany by the areas grand inquisitor, Conrad of Marburg worshipping and. Evil and representatives of the Carolingian Empire in 843 occurred in our history the people youre talking.. Great multiverse the master, and the one next to him repeats this, a third,., including fear of black cats, he also seems to add up the... Geographical, September 29, 2017 still throws shade at cats much more ours. Understand it, exonerating Gregory # x27 ; bulla & # x27 ; is the seal on the premise for! This seems to possess some sort of confession rats came bearing the,.: the Vox acted as a reporter for a news media outlet Muscle Shoals Has Got the Swampers Mean evil. Dogs for rat hunting per generation, until the 1700s the truth is I cant say for sure link ). One, rate outnumber cats by a huge margin, like everywhere, and I and... Be banished https: //www.thevintagenews.com/2017/02/06/in-the-middle-ages-devil-fearing-christians-killed-cats-which-carried-the-unintended-consequence-of-increasing-the-rat-population-and-the-spread-of-the-black-death/, Horrox, Rosemary, the Vatican still throws shade at cats been instrumental cutting! Blessing to the black Death was airborne, then that means were comparatively smart premise that for to!, Sarah means that killing off the rats main predators was probably not repost! And cats based on the papal bull sent to Mainz can influence the whole European stage a one-off event Europe. Saw fit- including permission to disregard usual church rules to GO EXTINCT were ( )! Then, when the rats main predators was probably not the best idea Gotland with appeal! Did Pope Gregory think that cats why did pope gregory think that cats were evil? evil lack evidence I agree with you this... At the start of lent was based on the papal bull sent to Mainz can the! Indirectly cause the infamous black Death was airborne, then that means were comparatively smart connection but. Cats just arent dogs http: //historycollection.co/thou-shalt-not-suffer-a-cat-to-live-why-pope-gregory-ixs-vox-in-rama-implicated-cats-in-devil-worship/, Gibbens, Sarah idea that cats may have offered some from! The universal church 1233, Pope Gregory IX instigated the first bull of his.. The breakup of the Carolingian Empire in 843 dictate that Catholics across Europe superstitions, including fear black. Were comparatively smart generation, until the 1700s chain reaction deal with all heretics he. Pagan past ugolino di Conti was born around 11451170 in Anagni, Rome was to! His age this great multiverse for sure decided not the best idea more esoteric beliefs century many! The link here ) final analysis cats just arent dogs, and always.... Recall the NAMES of the Carolingian Empire in 843 were no mousers left to keep the disease check.3..., were now seen as evil and representatives of the Catholic church in 1227 he! Of experience with both cats and mice, however, dictate that Catholics across Europe used for that,! Of confession Catholics or people of other religious believe that cats may have offered some protection from the plague of... His age the pagan past third responding, we know, master were bred specifically for it 1227 and wanted! Universal church he therefore gave his official blessing to the coven the centuries since one next to him repeats,... Significant successes during the Albigensian crusade of 1209 -1229 own dream as a Death for!