Featured photo: Mediaeval Cleric practicing his cursive
Step aside “Letter to America”, there’s a new viral sensation that dates back farther than two decades.
Tik Tok is quickly becoming the news source for millions of Americans. Like the heralds of the Dark Ages, all it takes is a controversial stir in the community to ignite a dumpster fire of critique, opinion and, of course, ignorance. One such article of sudden interest is the more recently resurfaced orders from Pope Urban II to the churches, kings and countrymen of Europe in the siege of The Holy Land.
The Crusades took place in what is now known as the Middle East from the eleventh century to the thirteenth century. A 200 year war effort, calling itself a pilgrimage, to reclaim the holy land that had been captured by the Persians from the Byzantine empire in 614 c.e. (For those of you who may not recognize those antiquated names, the Muslims took the Holy Land from the Romans)
Archives show that this was no G rated war. In the two hundred years it is historically recorded that Christian soldiers, in the name of reclaiming the Holy Land for the Roman Catholic Church, raped, pillaged and desecrated the entirety of the middle east in the effort, going as far as to skewer their victims and roast them inside of fire places. Heads were chopped off, bodies dismembered, it was a Quentin Tarantino level of gore.
The resurfaced order from Pope Urban II sent netizens into a frenzy, many are in support of the Catholic call to invade the territory and just as many are lamenting the action calling it an unjust move in political oppression.
The uprising started when the Pope’s decree was posted to a Catholic website, one Tik Tok user urged her followers to stop what they were doing and check it out. The wave of views skyrocketed with comments.
One comment declared the war was a hoax, a conspiracy to gain influence over the people of Europe by the US government. Another Tik Tok user said, “Well, um… I mean, he’s got a point. Everything he said was valid.”
Hundreds of videos sprung up over the platform justifying the siege of the middle east, inciting negative remarks against the Catholic Church. “Wasn’t Hitler baptized Catholic?” another user wrote, “The Catholic church is totally ick.” another one saying, “Man.. this is cap.”
Videos supporting the war effort of 1095 have recently been banned from the platform. Tik Tok, citing its community standards, expressed any support of the war and its expression is deemed terroristic and considered hate speech. The initial publication of the decree has since been removed. Our researchers have scoured the pages of YouTube to bring the full decree to light.
Pope Urban II’s Speech to the Council of Clermont
Oh, race of Franks, race from across the mountains, race chosen and beloved by God, shines forth in very many of your works set apart from all nations by the situation of your country as well as the as by your Catholic faith and the honor of the Holy Church. To you our discourse’s address and for you our exultation is intended, we wish you to know what a grievous cause has led us to your country what peril threatening you and all the the faithful has brought us. From the confines of Jerusalem and the City of Constantinople a horrible tale has gone forth and very frequently been brought to our ears, namely, that a race from the kingdom of the Persians, an accursed race, a race utterly alienated from God a generation forsooth which has not directed it’s heart and has not entrusted its spirit to God has invaded the lands of those Christians and depopulated them by the sword, pillage and fire. It has led away parts of the captives into its own country and the parts of it has destroyed by cruel tortures it has wither entirely destroyed the Churches of God or appropriated them for the rights of its own religion they destroy the altars after having defiled them with their uncleanliness. They circumcised the Christians and the blood of the circumcision they either spread upon the altars or pour into the vases of the baptismal font. When they wish to torture people by base death, they perforate the navels and dragging forth the extremity of the intestines, bind it to a steak then, with flogging, they lead the victim around until the viscerer, having been gushed forth from the victim, falls prostrate upon the ground. Others they bind to a post and pierce with arrows they compel to extend their arrows and then attacking them with naked swords attempts to cut through the neck with a single blow. What should I say of the abominable rape of the women, to speak of is to be worse than silent. The kingdom of the Greeks is now dismembered by them and deprived a territory so cast and extent that it cannot be traversed in a march of two months. On whom, therefore, is the labor of avenging these wrongs and of recovering this territory incumbent if not upon you. You upon whom above other nations God has conferred remarkable glory and arms great courage, bodily activity and strength to humble the hairy scalp of those who resist you let the deeds of your ancestors move you and incite your minds to manly achievements the glory and greatness of King Charles the great and of his son Louie and your other kings who have destroyed the kingdoms of the pagans and have extended in these lands the territory of the Holy Church, let the holy sepulcher of the Lord Our Savior, which is possessed by unclean nations, especially inside you and the holy places which are now treated with ignamy and irreverently polluted with their filthiness oh most valiant soldiers and descendants of invincible ancestors be not degenerate but recall the valor of your progenitors; But, if you’re hindered by loves, children, parents and wives remember the Lord says in the gospel he that loveth the father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Everyone that has forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for my names sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life. Let none of your possessions detain you no solicitude to your family affairs since this land which you inhabit shut in on all sides by seas and surrounded by mountain peaks is too narrow for your large population nor does it abound and wealth and it furnishes scarcely enough food for its cultivators, hence it is that you murder one another that you wage war and that you frequently perish by mutual wounds. Let therefore hatred depart from among, let your quarrels end, let your wars cease and let all dissentions and controversies slumber. Enter upon the road to the Holy Sepulcher rest that land from the wicked race and subjected to yourselves. That land the scriptures says floweth with milk and honey was given by God into the possessions of the children of Israel. Jerusalem is a navel of the world the land is fruitful above others like another paradise of delights this the redeemer of the human race has made illustrious by his advent he is beautified by residents and has consecrated by suffering has redeemed by death has glorified by burial. This royal city therefore situated at the center of the world is now held captive by his enemies and isn’t subjugation to those who do not know God and to worship of the heathens. She seeks therefore and desires to be liberated and does not cease to employ you to come to her aid from you especially she asks succor because as we have already said God has conferred upon you above all nations great glory and arms. Accordingly, undertake this journey for the remission of your sins and with the assurance of the imperishable glory of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Not an actual New Media post/For entertainment purposes only
