April 16, 1217 • Peter Valdes, founder of "Poor Men of Lyon"

ne day a rich merchant of France was listening to a troubadour tell the story of a saintly man who died a holy death. The merchant, who had made his money by gouging customers on loans, was filled with a longing to be sure of a holy death himself. He invited the story-teller home and questioned him more closely.

Peter Valdes* is remembered on this day, April 16, because of what he did next. Instead of trying to drown his fears of death or evade the future with lies, he made up his mind to find out how he could get right with God. He went to theologians. One told him this, another told him that. The words that stuck in his mind were from Christ's injunction to a rich young official: "If you would be perfect, go sell all you have, give it to the poor, and come follow me."

Valdes gave his wife a choice: she could either have his lands or his personal goods. She chose the lands. Valdes then sold his personal goods and with the proceeds reimbursed those that he had cheated. With part of the money, he hired learned men to translate portions of Scripture into everyday French. The rest of the money, he gave to the poor. He intended to live a life of poverty and preach to people, warning them to repent.

All too often, the priests and bishops of the established church were corrupt, greedy and ignorant of spiritual truth. Anything could be bought in Rome, including pardon for sins. Valdes with his simple life, his translation that everyone could understood and his simple call to repentance and changed lives attracted many followers. Other men adopted his lifestyle and went forth to preach. They were called "Poor Men of Lyons."

Valdes and his followers had no intention of leaving the Catholic church. Their interest was to remove corrupt practices and turn people to right living. Catholic bishops quickly recognized the danger to their own interests of allowing these laymen to preach. Although Pope Alexander III had given the Poor Men permission to preach, he said that local bishops must authorize it. This wasn't about to happen. When Valdes and others continued to preach, they were labeled as schismatics (those who disobey the pope) but not yet heretics (those who teach false doctrine).

Eventually the Waldensians (as they became known) were declared to be heretics. They said that the established church had failed, that Scripture is sufficient to guide men to salvation, that the pope was the chief advocate of heresy, that everyone (even women) have a right to publicly preach God's word, that purgatory is an invention of men, that saints should not be invoked, and that religious images must not be honored. They rejected confession to priests, defined the church as the body of all people who truly believe God and do his will, and said layman should have the cup as well as the bread when partaking of the Eucharist (Lord's Supper). These ideas went contrary to the teachings of the Roman Church of that time.

History records that Rome poured out its fury upon the Waldensians. They were hunted and hounded, tortured and killed. Catholics seized their children and placed them in orphanages. For centuries, they had no public places of worship and suffered dreadful things as if they had been criminals, rather than hardworking people who lived godly lives.

*The name Peter appears to have been attached to him 150 years after his death.

Bibliography:

1. "Conversion of Peter Waldo." Medieval Sourcebook. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/waldo1.html
2. Malan, Ronald F. "Waldensian History; A Brief Sketch." http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~waldense/history.htm#I2a
3. McCallum, Dennis. The Waldensian Movement From Waldo to the Reformation. http://www.xenos.org/essays/waldo5.htm
4. "Of the conversion of Peter Waldo and the rise of the Waldenses, etc." Martyrs Mirror. http://www.homecomers.org/mirror/275-waldo.htm
5. Various other encyclopedia and internet articles.

Last updated June, 2007