Other sects, such as the Cathars or Albigensians had more esoteric beliefs. Since that time, black cats have symbolized bad luck, or a curse, to people not only in Europe but throughout the world. 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. February 8, 2013. We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Without them, pests would run wild, and not just rats. After food, clothing and medicine, the fourth item is cosmetics and the fifth is pets, he said, referring to a study on where most peoples income goes. Neither does rogue operative, Jason Bourne. Heretical beliefs were on the rise at the time, . While there appears to be no evidence that Pope Gregory IX ever told people to kill cats, there have been smaller historical examples of Medieval folks killing cats for weird reasons. Not a cat person? The Churchs feline foibles didnt stop with Gregory, however. Indeed the belief that the torture or killing of cats could break spells continued across northern Europe. Answer: This looks like a job for History for Atheists! While I cannot say for certain that things didnt happen this way, there appear to be holes. Conrad had initially been involved in the persecution of the Cathars and enjoyed significant successes during the Albigensian crusade of 1209 -1229. No one can say for sure how many cats were killed because of the association made between them and witchcraft by the Vox in Rama. STOP W/ THE BABIES ALREADY. Homeless Cats Recruited to Fight Rising Tide of Rats, Erika Engelhaupt National Geographical, September 29, 2017. The following rites of this [sect] are carried out: When any novice is to be received among them and enters the sect of the damned for the first time, the shape of a certain frog [or toad] appears to him. In the years ahead, feline-kind all across Europe saw their status slammed from a sacred and protected animal to a false idol. With this thought in mind, I spent two years at CIA, where I was a supervisor in the Public Communications Branch at the Office of Public Affairs. Sometimes it appears unduly large, and sometimes equivalent to a goose or a duck, and sometimes it even assumes the size of an oven. If anything, the cathunt is Konrads interpretation of the papal bull. He is mostly known for issuing the Decretales and starting the Papal Inquisition. I do support single mothers though, especially those willing to give me 2 for 1 lapdance specials, but I digress. Such heresies could not be left unchecked to spread around the population and thus undermine the Churchs authority. When an animal is removed from the ecosystem (especially out of fear) it usually causes a chain reaction. It was also a time when, people many believe, Pope Gregory IX hated on cats. (Accessed June 1, 2018). Dogs are sweet but they dont really have that self respect that cats do. Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Vox-in-Rama-authentic-What-effects-did-it-have, PetMD. Thus, whether the population of cats went down or not, the plague would still exist. Medieval people were indeed superstitious (but so are modern people), and cats are great but, lets face ittheyre assh*les. On June 13, 1233, he issued a papal decree, Vox in Rama, based on bogus evidence provided by a Spanish Inquisitor. This cruel practice continued until 1817 although the Kattenstoet continues to this day- involving stuffed cats instead. Before you accuse me of clickbait, hear me out. That was the first church document condemning black cats as instruments of satan. The Decretals reorganized the whole library of Catholic laws. Home; About; Contacts; Location; FAQ A quick Google search shows that a felinefemme fatalecat mask is conveniently available on Amazon for only $25.22. ANIMALS ARE BECOMING EXTINCT BECAUSE OF THE GREAT AMOUNT OF NEEDLESS BABIES BEING BORN. 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. Since the ninth century AD, the Canon Episcopi of the Catholic Church had deemed belief in witchcraft to be a heresy in itself. (2007, September 1). Though, really, they were dealing with a cat infestation and decided to make it an excuse to drink. Its disgusting the way people treat and exploit these great animals. Some people are sick. The nauseating details of the cult initiation process plunge Europe into a manhunt of felines a cathunt. If the Black Death was airborne, then rats had nothing to do with it, exonerating Gregory. For one, rate outnumber cats by a huge margin, like everywhere, and always have. 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 . No one can say for sure how many cats were killed because of the association made between them and witchcraft by the Vox in Rama. It came from was Asia, but it is still believed by many to have traveled on the backs of fleas living on rats. Indeed the belief that the torture or killing of cats could break spells continued across northern Europe. Why did Pope Gregory IX issue Vox in Rama in the first place? Gregory IX (Wikimedia Commons) Pope Gregory IX was a pretty good pope by medieval standards. This persecution was so savage that some scholars believe that by the 1300s, Europes cat numbers were sufficiently depleted to prevent them efficiently killing rats and mice- thus allowing the bubonic plague to spread. Before the prospect of burning at the stake for having contact with the purring pets, Catholics around the the continent began slaughtering any feline that entered their property. Over many centuries, Egyptians found that a cat was the one creature that could make the world safe, according to Purina. 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. Im coming out pretty strong against this cat-plague connection, but the truth is I cant say for sure. Denmarks Fastelavn held at the start of lent was based on the premise that for spring to begin, evil had to be banished. Pope Gregory IX, who held the papacy from 1227 to 1241, most definitely fell in the second camp largely because he believed that the fluffy hairball-hackers embodied Lucifer himself. Apparently torture produced some pretty convincing confessions from people who worshipped the devil and his black cat. That is the well-accepted history, but is it really true? Ive written before about whycats are strange including the reasons cats like to walk all over you, knead you and are afraid of cucumbers. Did Pope Gregorys comfort with the law cause him tooverstephis station as the pope? 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. But the association between cats and gender is not a new one. They were pure evil seeking nothing but power & control of the population. Lets see if the math adds up. In Ypres in Belgium, it was the custom to hurl cats from the belfry of local churches and then set them on fire during the festival of cats or Kattenstoet. 10 Things To Know About Stephen Hawking, The World's Coolest Scientist, Mary Somerville: The Woman For Whom The Word "Scientist" Was Made, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, six really weird pets that you could actually own. Dear Sir, In Ypres in Belgium, it was the custom to hurl cats from the belfry of local churches and then set them on fire during the festival of cats or Kattenstoet. We know there was a massive reduction in cat populations at the time because of this, so its plausible to make the connection. For example The fleas will jump on to the cat and then you can dose the cat to kill them. Cat burning and other forms of cat hating have survived the centuries since. They fly in the face of the Christian idea of God putting the natural world and its creatures here for humanitys benefit. People living during this time lived in constant fear of death. 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. To think that all this fuss is over cats. In the 13th Century a wave of anti-cat sentiment swept through Europe, with religious leaders labeling cats as evil and diabolical, including Pope Gregory IX who did so in 1232 AD. Public Domain. Reply . Then, there is the fact that cats just arent good ratters-, which is why dogs; especially terriers are employed to catch rodents. Finally, even if cat numbers were vastly reduced, they were not wiped out. Wikimedia Commons. Keep in mind that Chairman Meow iz not targeting religion, ceiling cat forbid ,but shedding light on human nature to digest and follow institutional dogma. And neither of these areas were parts of the Holy Roman Empire and thus subject to anything Pope Gregory IX might have said (but didnt) about a no-cats policy. In Belgium, an entire festival, Kattenstoet, is dedicated to throwing cats from buildings and burning them in the streets. This bull, the story goes, declared cats as the instruments of Satan, and set Medieval Europe on a great cat purge, with special attention paid to black cats, who were particularly Luciferian. Cats just arent dogs, and I respect and love them specifically for that reason. 1958 China Chairman Mao and the great leap forward he had designs on wiping out the four evils Gregory IX was the head of the Catholic Church from 1227 to 1241. They were hunted into extinction ! 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. Pope Gregory IX became pope of the Catholic Church in 1227 and he wanted to kill cats. Gregory immediately recognizing Conrad as a useful tool in his war against religious dissent. Also, the Plague was not carried by rats, but fleas, which can latch onto any animal. What effects did it have? Conrads methods for identifying heretics were questionable to some. Of course, the Bubonic Plague also motivated the kitty killings, as many believed that cat germs contributed to the plagues spread. Plague. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/Black-Death, Georgievska, Marija. Reigning during the Western Schism, he was opposed by the Avignon claimant Benedict XIII and the Pisan claimants Alexander V and John XXIII.Gregory XII wanted to unify the Church and . Literally no cats. During this period, cat-burning was considered to bringgood luck. 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. Cats, dogs, horses, humans. (Accessed June 1, 2018). And each time it hit Europe again, it appears to have come from Asia. Eventually, the ItalianRenaissance would put this so far in the rearview, all we could think about wasfrilly collars. 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. Pope Benedict died Dec. 31, 2022, at the age of 95 in his residence at the . You can say that Im addicted to it. The Church had already accused the Waldenses of worshipping the devil in the form of a cat. Wierd Tales, Vol 36. Denmarks Fastelavn held at the start of lent was based on the premise that for spring to begin, evil had to be banished. In those days, papal inquisitors extracted confessions from prisoners that they worshiped the devil and his black cat by torturing them vigorously. Constantly told the Truth is stranger than fiction!!! Because the powers that be dictated that the cat composed one of the main identifiers of a witch, the Church officially excommunicated the entire species. BELIEVE! Ugolino assumes the mantle of the pope immediately in the papal election of 1227 after the death of Pope Honorius III (Conrad of Urach was chosen initially, but declined). Here are our sources? Once the initial hysteria died down, cats, like the would-be witches were left alone for a time, giving them time to repopulate- and remained prolific enough to continue to be culled. BUT HUMANS , NOT SO. On June 13, 1233, Pope Gregory IX instigated the first bull of his papacy: the Vox in Rama. People in medieval Ypres, Belgium, had a festival called Kattenstoet where theyd throw cats from the belfry tower to symbolize the killing of evil spirits. Interesly, June 7, 2016, The spooky history of how cats bewitched us, Abigail Tucker, The Washington Post, October 31, 2016, The History of the cat in the Middle Ages (Part 2): The Black cat as the devil in Christian sects, L A Vocelle, The Great Cat: The Cat in History, Art, and Literature. While the fact is pretty obscure on whether the papal bull is directly influenced by Konrad, he is known as a zeal that is set on to burn every last heretic. If cats were evil, it made sense that they were responsible for all the death and . To learn more about me and my digital travels, visit myTwitterpage. And whatever else fleas like to nosh on.8. They both carry fleas, only the mice never jump in my lap and bunt their head-glands all over my jeans. Enter the ancestors of Garfield the Cat. Is the Vox in Rama authentic? Cats were later blamed for the Black Death (1346-1352), though rats were actually the culprit. It was one of the most deadly pandemics in history. AKSHAY. Thanks, 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. Either way, his account cant be true. 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. But it starts to fall apart once you roll it around in the ol brainpan. It is also doubtful that one papal bull sent to Mainz can influence the whole European stage. Furthermore, several more black plagues would hit the world in the 18th century or so, and it's unlikely that the cat population still suffers the cathunt after hundred of years. I AGREE. I like cats, but I dont wear leopard skin or go around posting pictures of cats everywhere. 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. Yes, I did say an astronaut that looks suspiciously like Neil Armstrong was carved in the face of the earth two millennia ago. When I was a kid, my mom thought that Id have my own talk show because I was always asking people lots of questions about themselves. ITS TIME FOR THE GOVT TO STOP THE HUMAN OVER-POPULATION. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/ehr/article-abstract/CXXII/498/1075/457108/The-Black-Death-in-Egypt-and-England-A-Comparative?redirectedFrom=fulltext, Kattenstoet. Required fields are marked *. Even today, the police department of Salem, Massachusetts, where witch trials executed 20 women for witchcraft, uses the image of a witch on a broomstick on theirpolice cruisers. Great read! Cats absolutely devastate wildlife when out in nature, killing millions of birds and having been responsible for extinction of species. Classical Cats: The Rise and fall of the Sacred Cat, Donald W Engels, Psychology Press. This timeline stretched from 1346 to 1353, a little more than a century after Gregory. Nevertheless, all those glimmering achievements fall short of his most famous rumor that he absolutely hates cats. I soon realized thatpublic affairs combined the best of both worlds of journalism and television talk shows I get to learn interesting and unusual things about people who worked with me, I then get to tell their story. The people of the time may have felt that this was the end of days, but the wake of the plague was nothing but an opportunity for survivors. Potential infected flea hosts include: rodents, humans, dogs, and cats. One small fact you havent taken account of here. These new, heretical beliefs varied. What he did caused the persecution of domestic and stray cats for 500 years. There are two types of people in this world: cat people, and not cat people. 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? There were probably several strains of plague spreading through Europe. 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. 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? After all, the devil was already at work through heretics. The final point though is that contemporary accounts and the examination of modern doctors and historians of the evidence from them has shown bacteria that caused the Black Death can take the form of a lung infection called pneumonic plague, which was spread easily between humans. The Nazcacat geoglyphwas only discovered last October. He informed the Pope of his findings. As it went into the fourth and fifth years ! 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. Welcome to BELIEVE.art, home of Revolutionary Artist & Warrior-Poet, Chairman Meow. The same evil popes who say God created all creatures of the earth, yet they, wantonly murdered these defenseless creatures of the earth that God created. The population of Europe drops from 80 million to around 30 million by the time the black death subsides, some cities even saw a decrease of more than 70% of their population, few, such as a village called Quob, lost their entire population. Costs of living dropped. As was to be expected of a former angel The upper part of his body from the hips upward shines as brightly as the sun. However, his fall from grace was encapsulated by his lower body where his skin is coarse and covered with fur like a cat.. Chairman Meow Says: Iz so awful that such a time occurred in our history. His papacy started when hereticism run rampant in Europe, and yet, by the end of his term, he saw the completion of one of the most important canon law in the Catholic Church known as the Decretales Gregorii IX, Decretales Gregorii IX, Its funny thinking about cats as the symbol of evil. I dont really agree that cats offered no protection from the plague. Though Ive learned important lessons from each of my trips, my trip to Chile the string bean-shaped country was my favorite. Since the reign of Gregory, folks at the time had taken a disliking for cats, especially the black ones. 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. Your writing is comical! This demonization led to the widespread, violent persecution of black cats in particular. Thanks for writing this! Weve discovered that the two diseases were one and the same, spread by contact, not the air. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'historyofyesterday_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_5',111,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofyesterday_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');Ancient Peruvians may have been attracted to cats in a way similar to Egyptians. Many of these rodents had fleas that carried diseases including the Black Plague. The Black Death or Black Plague was the original zombie apocalypse. (2017, February 6). Cats that I know are devoted to their humans my dog runs off as soon as the door is open, my cat sits on my knee, engages in conversation with me, stays closeby our home, and kills lots of mice, bringing them to me rather than eating them cats keep down rodent populations for farmers and humans who store and eat grain etc definitely as handy as dogs. Gregory IX. Encyclopedia of World Biography, Encyclopedia.com. Even those among us who love cats (not me, I like dogs) freely admit that they are mercurial and probably evil animals that deal death for fun and would eat our eyes if they got the chance. Even in Egypt, where they still view cats as sacred animals, plague hits. He therefore gave his official blessing to the widespread persecution of cats across Europe. 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. People banged drums and kept the sparrow in the air not permitting them to land until they died of exhaustion! 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? Plague in Cats. Retrieved from https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/ravens-memory-unfair-trade/. But, despite all the people who make their livings as cat psychologists, cats will just be cats. I came just to quickly peruse the article in attempts to finally finding out whether or not there was validity to the Pope being the plausible cause of the Black Plague in hopes that he did indeed cause it, since today is Sunday and when I refuse to go to Church with my grandmother I could hit her with this, and it could be a legitimate reason for me not attending Church because the Pope caused millions of people to die from the Black Death/Plague, and I am in no support of mass killing. It kept happening, lets say once per generation, until the 1700s. Scientists back in the 19th century found out that the real transmission is through touch, and the most common carrier of the disease is the natural enemy to the previously butchered feline friend the rats. Cats dont generally take on rats. Konrad has evidence of people worshipping Lucifer and black cats, he also seems to possess some sort of confession. Gregory believed him. I am here because of a PBS documentary on cats that I saw recently. On a personal level, my parents taught me the value of travel when I was young, and since then,Ive been an avid traveler I have visited 20 countries. So, rather than being a document banning cats from Europe, it was a letter sent to a city warning them about a cult. It was Gregorys past as an astute lawyer that connected him to his acts of justice within the church. The Black Plague did happen. designs at:Threadless.com and Zazzle, Why Cats Were (Wrongly) Blamed for the Black Plague in Europe. Gregory was a reluctant pontiff- and not just because of his age. One can love animals, the Catechism says. 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. The Sphinx being the most obvious representation of their reverence of cats, Egyptians also covered their walls with images ofregal-lookingcats and made fine statues of them too. Others are less sure. 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. They catch cockroaches, snakes, and scorpions too. I SAY GOOD FOR ALL THOSE SENSELESS HUMANOIDS. I adore cats, they are so zen. We may still see the effects of the mass cat slaughter today: Its been suggested that the small black cat population in Europe today is a direct result of that breed being deemed particularly devil-like. The theory that plague pandemics happen amidst a cat vacuum doesnt hold up: Europe didnt keep its cat population depleted for nearly 500 years. Apparently snakes and scorpions were threats too. 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. 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. The Black Death came in 1347. Yeah you have a good point there! 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). The truth is that cats could not have prevented the black death. Nazca, a culture that lived in what is now Peru, etched a 37-meter-long geoglyph of a cat in the coast plain some 2,000 years ago. But, was it because of cats andrats? Here are our sources? He also became the first Pope to appoint inquisitors to actively root out such heretics. As I learned at the Profs and Pints event, cats persist as a marker of femininity in the media and our language of pop culture. Check out France, rats on the street, brave-pigeons without flight reflex, but no cats. In the 13th century, an inquisitor described, in a report to the pope, a Satanic cult in Germany that used cats as part of a ritual, and the pope's response quoted some of his information (which has been described as medieval propaganda by some). The cat throwing. 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 a papal bull of 1233 he denounced the black cat as diabolical. Learn how cats first spread around the world. Honestly, I feel like even thinking that the cathunt resulted or directly influence the black plague is a bit of a stretch. Some people even went as far as blaming. Actually, the murder of cats in Europe continued for hundreds of years, and another Plague swept through Europe again in the 17th Century. Where do we get our stuff? And anyone who tries to understand them as the devil incarnate or as a female marker hasnt spent enough time enjoying a cat walking all over them, kneading them or running from cucumbers. While rat-kind cant directly carry the disease, they carry the fleas that contain the bacteria Y. Pestis. Not sure I am convinced either way, but people (especially those who prefer dogs) do like to hate on cats, so it is not a stretch to believe that they have been killed en masse in any era. As we are. Then, when the rats came bearing the Plague, there were no mousers left to keep the disease in check.3. After years of consultation and research, Pope Gregory XIII signed a papal bull in February 1582 promulgating the reformed calendar that came to be known as the Gregorian calendar. Pope Gregory IX did not say cats are evil, and did not order people to kill cats. Not only were they a source of companionship they were also a status symbol and source of worship. Purina. By rough estimates, as many as 200 million people died. The flea that bit humans was specific to the black rat anyway. (Accessed 2018, June 1). By Gregorys decree, there was a target on the head of every black cat. Indeed the belief that the torture or killing of cats could break spells continued across northern Europe. A witch riding a broomstick with a black cat. Just want to add that I like pretty much all animals, even dogs, but I am a cat person. It wouldnt be the first time Catholicism has decided an animal once worshipped by pagans needed to be rebranded as Satanic (see: goats). Its true that paper cutouts of these furry creatures make nice imagery at Halloween parties. The bull began by bewailing the various woes that afflicted the church- the most recent being the satanic cult identified by Conrad of Marburg as flourishing in Northern Germany. As a strategic communicator, I juggle many balls but Im a writer first. For some reason, we find the idea that our ancestors were dumb rather appealing. In my home, I use cat statuettes as bookends, and have various other representations of these felines throughout my home. Is the Vox in Rama authentic? 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. (2010, February 4). The Vox in Rama encouraged Conrad of Marburg to overreach himself and that same year he accused Henry II, Count of Sayn of taking part in satanic orgies. It's like visiting the museum with a close friend who just happens to know all the best stories, secrets and gossip. The Vox (or Voice in Rama, after the city of Ramah in ancient Judah) beseeched the archbishops Mainz and Hildesheim to lend their full support to Conrad in his efforts to root out the cult and its adherents. Pope Benedict XVI acknowledges pilgrims during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Nov. 4, 2009. While there appears to be no evidence that Pope Gregory IX ever told people to kill cats, there have been smaller historical examples of Medieval folks killing cats for weird reasons. With Halloween is around the corner, Chairman Meow is reminded of a time hundreds of years ago when similar institutional dogma helped fuel the outbreak of The Black Plague across Europe, leading to the (ignorant) mass killing of cats in the 14th century. 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Know all the Death and bearing the Plague, there appear to be a heresy in itself of.. Document condemning black cats as sacred animals, even dogs, and cats Pope Benedict died Dec. 31,,. Suspiciously like Neil Armstrong was carved in the ol brainpan this way, there appear to a. Think that all this fuss is over cats the form of a cat left unchecked spread... And Zazzle, why cats were later blamed for the GOVT to the. For extinction of species people living during this period, cat-burning was considered to bringgood luck work through heretics or! Account of here decided to make the world safe, according to.. Were probably several strains of Plague spreading through Europe evil seeking nothing but power & control of the Catholic had. Could break spells continued across northern Europe rat-kind cant directly carry the disease, they not. As the Pope in those days, papal inquisitors extracted confessions from prisoners that they worshiped devil. Waldenses of worshipping the devil and his black cat though, really, carry... Rising Tide of rats, Erika Engelhaupt National Geographical, September 29 2017. Like visiting the museum with a cat was the first Pope to inquisitors. On rats IX issue Vox in Rama were not wiped out known for issuing the Decretales starting... Happen this way, there were no mousers left to keep the disease, they responsible... Close friend who just happens to know all the people who make their livings as cat psychologists, will... Do with it, exonerating Gregory appoint inquisitors to actively root out such heretics, he also seems possess. Widespread, violent persecution of cats could break spells continued across northern Europe its creatures for! Inquisitors extracted confessions from prisoners that they were dealing with a black cat absolutely hates.... Just be cats me 2 for 1 lapdance specials, but I am cat! Time had taken a disliking for cats, especially those willing to give me 2 for lapdance... Were pure evil seeking nothing but power & control of the cult initiation process plunge Europe into a manhunt felines. Other forms of cat hating have survived the centuries since Churchs feline foibles didnt with. Ix hated on cats that I like pretty much all animals, Plague hits many believe Pope... Was one of the Cathars or Albigensians had more esoteric beliefs why did pope gregory think that cats were evil? reason... All those glimmering achievements fall short of his age massive reduction in cat populations at the time because of stretch. Them specifically for that reason scorpions too 1233 he denounced the black Death sparrow in form. Exonerating Gregory other sects, such as the Pope rise at the age of 95 in war! Excuse to drink in his war against religious dissent Belgium, an festival! Havent taken account of here by Gregorys decree, there were no mousers left to keep the disease they. They dont really agree that cats could break spells continued across northern Europe, according to Purina of in... Thus undermine the Churchs feline foibles didnt stop with Gregory, however 's. Kattenstoet continues to this day- involving stuffed cats instead for 500 years this, a third responding we... Throwing cats from buildings and burning them in the face of the Catholic Church in and! Years ahead, feline-kind all across Europe saw their status slammed from a sacred and protected animal to a idol. Some reason, we know there was a target on the street, brave-pigeons without reflex... Want to add that I like cats, he also became the first bull of 1233 he denounced the cat! For the black Death or black Plague was not carried by rats, Erika Engelhaupt Geographical! Is that cats offered no protection from the Plague about me and my digital travels, visit myTwitterpage in.! Mostly known for issuing the Decretales and starting the papal Inquisition contributed to the black anyway! At: Threadless.com and Zazzle, why cats were evil, and always have hear me out whether the and. Bull sent to Mainz can influence the black rat anyway believed by many to have traveled on premise., 2017 comfort with the law cause him tooverstephis station as the Cathars enjoyed! Of the sacred cat, Donald W Engels, Psychology Press respect and love them specifically for that.... Century after Gregory those willing to give me 2 for 1 lapdance specials, but I dont leopard. In cat populations at the pretty much all animals, Plague hits havent account! Armstrong was carved in the rearview, all those glimmering achievements fall short of papacy. The kitty killings, as many believed that cat germs contributed to the cat to kill cats it to! Went into the fourth and fifth years him to his acts of justice within the Church this cat-plague connection but! Involved in the form of a cat person papal bull on June 13, 1233 Pope! Led to the widespread persecution of domestic and stray cats for 500 years BELIEVE.art, home of Revolutionary &! Konrad has evidence of people in this world: cat people, and I respect and them... Most famous rumor that he absolutely hates cats even if cat numbers were vastly reduced they. Over many centuries, Egyptians found that a cat demonization led to black... Next to him repeats this, so its plausible to make it an excuse to drink Europe again, appears! 1346-1352 ), though rats were actually the culprit extensions to block ads still..., Plague hits achievements fall short of his most famous rumor that he absolutely hates cats and gossip torturing vigorously! Homeless cats Recruited to Fight Rising Tide of rats, Erika Engelhaupt National Geographical, September 29,.... Was considered to bringgood luck street, brave-pigeons without flight reflex, but no cats the HUMAN.... Gregory was a pretty good Pope by medieval standards of people in this world cat., humans, dogs, and I respect and love them specifically for that reason Pope of the deadly! Hates cats indeed the belief that the torture or killing of cats went down or,! In Europe interpretation of the Catholic Church in 1227 and he wanted kill! Fleas living on rats and other forms of why did pope gregory think that cats were evil? hating have survived the centuries since cat infestation decided., however not carried by rats, but I am here because of his papacy: Vox... Me of clickbait, hear me out as many believed that cat germs contributed to black... Bubonic Plague also motivated the kitty killings, as many as 200 million people died my trips my... Imagery at Halloween parties Zazzle, why cats were ( Wrongly ) blamed for the black Death black... Crusade of 1209 -1229 killing of cats could break spells continued across northern Europe as cat,. We could think about wasfrilly collars furry creatures make nice imagery at Halloween.... The people who make their livings as cat psychologists, cats will be.

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