Pierre Tort
	Translated by David Burr, History Department, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.

Pierre Tort's confession is dated May 19 with no indication of the year, but it was undoubtedly given in 1322. Its interest lies in the survey of beguin beliefs it contains, and also in the way Tort manages to locate his introduction to these beliefs in time and space. We are given a vivid picture of pious laity like Tort going to Narbonne on March 14 for Olivi's feast day and hearing spiritual Franciscans preach sermons that told these laity who Olivi was, what he had said, and how his words justified the stand taken by the friars themselves. This translation is from the Latin text in Limborch, Liber sententiarum, 325-30.

Pierre Tort, son of the deceased Mathieu Tort a cutler from Montréal in the diocese of Carcassonne, a member of the third order or third rule Saint Francis, as we learned in legally valid manner through his confession made in judicial process, said that up to the time of his confession (that is, until May 19) he thought the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles had nothing either privately or in common as long as they lived in this world. He believed this, he said, because he heard Friars Minor preach in Narbonne that Christ commanded the apostles not to possess gold or silver or copper in their belts (Mtt. 10:9), and to carry neither a walking staff nor a bag (Lk. 10:4), and told them that "only he who renounces all he possesses can be my disciple" (Lk. 14:33); and they cited many other counsels from the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, saying that Christ had a purse neither for himself nor for the apostles, but that he appointed Judas to be distributor of the money given to Christ, so that he could give it to the poor, and that Christ himself used the money only for present necessities or when he was among infidels.

They said Blessed Francis, who was renewer of Christ's life and brought poverty, which had been ejected from the church, back into the church, was the most perfect imitator of poverty after the apostles, and the rule and order of the Blessed Francis was more perfect than any other rule or order, so that those in all other orders can transfer to the Friars Minor but Friars Minor cannot transfer to any other order unless they continue to observe the aforesaid poverty, that is, having nothing either privately or in common. They said that Christ, the apostles, Blessed Francis and the Friars Minor should neither have nor reserve anything except for present necessity, taking present necessity to mean eight or fifteen days in the case of wheat and wine, and up to a half year in the case of salt and oil.

Again, they said such poverty was evangelical, and Friars Minor and others committed to observe evangelical poverty should feel they have no rights in the case of books or anything else. To act otherwise would be a diminution of evangelical poverty. Pierre said he believed all this for around five years.

Again, he said he heard from the Friars Minor called "spirituals" (and believed it from that time on) that the rule of Saint Francis is evangelical, especially regarding the vow of poverty, because even though other rules are evangelical as far as the vows of chastity and obedience are concerned, they are not such in the case of poverty, which involves having nothing either privately or in common. Saint Francis renewed this poverty and imitated Christ most perfectly among all the saints. As a sign of this, two years before his death he received the stigmata of Christ's wounds.

Again, he said he believed for five years that whoever impugns or speaks against the rule of the Blessed Francis as far as these vows are concerned, or on other matters insofar as the rule is evangelical, impugns Christ's gospel and thus errs concerning the faith. If he pertinaciously perseveres in doing so he becomes a heretic.

Again, he said he heard from these friars (and believed from that time on) that the Lord Pope could not alter the rule of Saint Francis as far as the aforesaid vows are concerned any more than he could alter Christ's gospel, nor could he add anything that was contrary to the rule, nor could he subtract anything in such a way that it might diminish some perfection of the rule. He could, however, give dispensation concerning the form and quality of the habit, so that if some Friar Minor, through the malice of his leaders or through some defect in himself, could not remain peacefully and quietly among the Friars Minor, the lord pope could give him dispensation to transfer to some other order, in such a way however that even though he was in the other order he still observed the vow he promised according to the rule of Saint Francis, and still had nothing either privately or in common, and he should not obey his new leaders if they ordered him to act contrary to that vow. Thus according to his habit he would be a monk of that other order, but in his heart he would still be a Friar Minor.

Again, he said he had heard from the beguins that once the lord pope had confirmed the order of the Friars Minor or that of the Brothers of Penitence he could not abolish or withdraw confirmation from them. He was undecided on this question, though, and leaned no more to one side than he did to the other, although he intended to accept and obey whatever the pope should ordain on this matter. He said, though, that he had heard from some of the Friars Minor called "spirituals" at Narbonne (and believed it) that the Order of Friars Minor would be divided into three parts: the community of the order which wants to have granaries and wine cellars; the fraticelli in Sicily under Enrico da Ceva, and the friars called "spirituals" or "poor friars" as well as the beguins. They said the first two parts would collapse and be destroyed because they did not observe the rule of the Blessed Francis, but the third part, because it did observe the evangelical rule, would remain until the end of the world, although it would suffer many persecutions, as was revealed to the Blessed Francis. They proved that the third part would last until the end of the world, whether in a large group or in a small one, because the gospel of Christ would last until the end of the world, and the rule of the Blessed Francis is the evangelical rule.

Again, he said he had heard from some of the Friars Minor called "spirituals" (and believed it) that the lord pope could not revoke on his own something that had been established by a general council, nor could he order anything contrary to it, nor could he revoke or order anything contrary to something ordered by a previous pope. If he did so, his order would have no authority. Nevertheless, a general council could order something contrary to what a previous general council or pope had ordered, because (as they said) it could not be found that any council had erred, but it could be found that in the time of the Blessed Hilary a pope had erred on a matter of faith.

Again, he said that at the time of the feast of Pierre Déjean in Narbonne he heard some friars preach that the poverty commanded by the Blessed Francis in hid rule had been hidden from the Friars Minor of the community of the order until the said Friar Pierre Déjean made that poverty plain, showing that the brothers should reserve nothing for the future except in time of great necessity or when among infidels. And they added that the lord pope could not allow the friars greater laxity in these matters or grant them a more comfortable existence. If he did so he need not and should not be obeyed, for it would involve a diminution of the perfection of their poverty, and papal power was ordained to building up, not tearing down. If they should be excommunicated because they did not obey such an order, they should not consider themselves excommunicated, because in truth they were not really excommunicated at all. He said he believed this from that time until he confessed.

Again, he said he had heard these Friars Minor say in a public sermon in Narbonne (and he believed it) that if someone made a simple or private vow of poverty, just between him and God, the lord pope could not dispense him from it so that he could have riches, because (as they said) through such a vow the vower joins himself to God, and such a joining cannot be dissolved by man, because "what God has joined let no man put asunder." Such a joining of man to God is even less dissolvable than a carnal marriage between man and woman, for such a joining is spiritual and joins a man to God even more than carnal marriage joins a man to a woman.

Again, he said he had heard from these friars and from beguins (and believed it for the past three years) that the lord pope could not promulgate a constitution or decree in which he conceded to the Friars Minor the right to store wheat and wine in cellars and granaries, and that in promulgating such a constitution he acted against the rule of the Blessed Francis and against the gospel, giving the aforesaid friars the opportunity to have things in common and transgress their vow. They said the friars should not obey the pope on this matter unless they lived in mountainous regions or among infidels, places where it was impossible to find what they needed for present necessities on a day-to-day basis.

Again, he said he had believed that the lord pope sinned and did evil when he promulgated the aforesaid constitution, and that the cardinals and prelates who consented to it were evil and sinned in doing so. He did not believe on this account, though, that the pope was a heretic or had lost his papal authority or his power to loose and bind.

Again, he said he had believed that the Friars Minor who asked for this constitution, and indeed all those friars who consented to it, sinned gravely and continued to do so, although he had not decided for himself if they sinned mortally or venially, nor had it become clear to him whether they had become heretics by consenting.

Again, he said he heard from these friars (and had believed it for three or four years) that the lord pope could not grant a Friar Minor dispensation so that he could transfer into another order having things in common, because this would entail a diminution of perfection, and the lord pope could not give dispensation, as they said, so that someone could descend from a more perfect state of virtue to a less perfect one. If he did so he would sin and the Friar Minor should not obey him. If he did obey, he would sin. If the pope excommunicated him because of his disobedience, the excommunication would be invalid. Again, if through some necessity a Friar Minor should change orders by license of the pope, assuming the habit of another order having goods in common, that friar would be required to observe the vow of poverty he promised according to the rule of the Blessed Francis, that is, that he should have nothing either privately or in common. Nor should he consider himself to have any right to the common goods of his new order, and if he did he would sin gravely and traduce his vow. He believed this for four years.

Again, he said he heard from the aforesaid friars (and believed it from that time on) that a Friar Minor who had been made a bishop should not feel he had any right to whatever mobile or immobile goods of his church were normally claimed by the bishop. He should regard these goods as if they had nothing whatsoever to do with him, but were completely extraneous, although he could use them for his own necessities. He should commit the care and regime of temporal goods and incomes to someone else and devote himself to prayer, contemplation, preaching and the administration of the sacraments.

Again, he said he believed for around four years that four Friars Minor belonging the group called "spirituals" who were condemned as heretics by Friar Michel Le Moine of the Order of Friars Minor, the inquisitor at Marseilles, and were later burned died faithful catholics in the defense of evangelical truth and observance of Blessed Francis' rule. He believed they were saved, glorious martyrs, and the inquisitor who condemned them as heretics was the real heretic, as were all who consented to the inquisitor's condemnation. He did not, however, pray to the burned friars as saints asking them to intercede with God for him, or so he said.

Again, he said he had believed that the Lord John, the present pope, acted unjustly in turning the Friars Minor from the houses at Narbonne and Béziers, called "spirituals," over to leaders of the community and ordering them to obey these leaders, because. as he said, he turned them over before they had a chance to state their case before him.

Again, he said he had believed that if the present lord pope consented to or welcomed the condemnation of the four Friars Minor by the inquisitor, he himself became a heretic, because he acted against the gospel of Christ and condemned the life of Christ; but - so he said - he did not believe the lord pope knew the truth about why the inquisitor condemned these friars as heretics. He suspected that the inquisitor mendaciously informed the pope of errors the friars had never held or confessed to holding. Thus he did not believe the lord pope had lost his papal authority, or that he should not be obeyed.

Again, he said he had believed that those beguins who were condemned as heretics in two sermons at Béziers and burned - beguins he himself heard judged and saw burned - died faithful catholics, and he considered them glorious martyrs. Nevertheless, concerning those beguins who were first burned at Narbonne, and those burned at Capestang and Lunel, he was in doubt as to whether they were saved or not, and whether they were martyrs or not, because he was not present when they were condemned and burned, nor did he know with any certitude concerning which articles they were condemned, although he did know that they were condemned as heretics by the prelates and by the inquisitor at Carcassonne. He believed that those who were condemned at Pézenas and those condemned the last time at Narbonne died as genuine heretics, though, because the former did not suffer their persecution patiently but said a great many injurious things to the lord bishops and inquisitor, while the latter refused to swear. Concerning the others, however, whom he thought had died as faithful catholics and glorious martyrs, he believed that once the carnal church was destroyed - which it would be in a short time - the spiritual church that would arise after its destruction would recognize that those Friars Minor and beguins had been condemned unjustly by the carnal church, consider them glorious martyrs, and accord them a feast day, just as there is now a feast of the martyrs of Christ.

Again, he said he had believed that the inquisitor at Carcassonne and all the prelates who had condemned those beguins as heretics had become heretics themselves on that account, but he did not believe that the prelates thereby lost the power to loose and bind or confer orders. Again, all the prelates and others - secular clerics, religious and laity alike - who knew what these beguins believed, especially those articles for which they were condemned, and did not believe these articles represented the truth were heretics outside the church of God, members of the carnal church. Those who believed what the condemned beguins believed were faithful catholics and within the church of God. As for simple folk who neither believed nor disbelieved these articles but would believe them if informed concerning them and the beguin faith, he thought they were faithful catholics and were not outside the church of God.

Again, he said he had heard from some apostate Friars Minor (and believed it for two years) that the lord pope could not give a dispensation to someone who had vowed chastity or virginity by a solemn or even by a simple vow, so that the person could contract a marriage, whatever good might be attained or evil evaded by such a marriage (for example a kingdom of infidels converted to Christianity or a war avoided), unless it was the case that only three people remained in the entire human race, namely the pope and those two who had made the vow, for in that case it would be a question of the human race dying out. In any other case the dispensation would not be valid, nor should anyone given such a dispensation obey the lord pope's order to contract a marriage. If an excommunication followed from such a refusal, it would be invalid, and if the person actually contracted such a marriage it would be not marriage but prostitution, and any children born from it would be illegitimate.

Again, he said he heard from the Friars Minor at Narbonne (and believed for four years) that prelates, religious, clerics and laity wearing superfluous or costly clothing - taking superfluity or costliness for anything beyond what covers a man and protects him from the cold - violated evangelical perfection. Clothing of this sort prepared the way for Antichrist and those who wore it sinned. Prelates and other ecclesiastical personages should take from the goods of the church only enough for moderate, limited food and clothing. All the rest should be given to the needy or used for ecclesiastical necessities. The poverty of Christ shines forth in clothing that is patched and made from rough, unshapely cloth, for Christ was found wrapped in swaddling cloths (Lk. 2:12) and the Blessed Francis gave his blessing to those friars who patched their clothing with rough cloth.

Again, he said he had believed that it was of greater perfection that the beguins lived by begging than by the labor of one's hands, even if they were strong, able to work, and had a trade by which they could earn the necessities of life, because as he said one humiliated oneself more by begging. He did not believe, though, that the lord pope could prohibit beguins who were strong and capable of working from living by mendicancy.

Again, he said he had heard someone named in his confession preach a public sermon at Narbonne in which he said the whole doctrine of Pierre Déjean Olieu and all his writings were good, faithful and catholic, and at the council of Vienne they and his own person had been excused from all error and praised, except for five doubtful articles which the pope reserved to himself, although even these five he did not declare erroneous.

Again, this same Pierre Tort said he had read in a book concerning the end of Friar Pierre Déjean, that when he was nearing death the Friars Minor were called together and told them while he was at Paris and washing his hands preparatory to administering the sacrament of the mass to a certain priest, the whole truth of the gospel and Christ's life was revealed to him, and all of which writings were true and had been revealed to him. He had put nothing in his writings except what had been revealed to him by God.

He also said he had heard in sermons by Friars Minor at Narbonne during the feast of Friar Pierre Déjean that his doctrine and writings were more necessary to the church of this final time than those of any other holy doctor except the apostles and evangelists, because, as he said, more had been revealed to Friar Pierre Déjean than to any other holy doctor about what would happen toward the end of the world. The whole world would be in darkness and ignorance of the truth were in not for Friar Pierre Déjean and his writings, especially regarding this modern age. They considered him to be on a par with Augustine, Jerome, Gregory and Ambrose.

Again, he said he had read that Friar Pierre Déjean was that angel of whom it is said in the Apocalypse that his face was like the sun, and he had an open book in his hand (Apoc. 10:1), because he clearly had knowledge of the truth. He heard, too, that in the case of every other doctor of the church something was reproved by the church, but in Friar Pierre Déjean's case not a single letter was reproved. He also said he had heard from a certain beguin, his associate, whom he names, that anyone who condemned Pierre Déjean's doctrine was a heretic, because, as he said, the general council of Vienne approved it, and even if he were excommunicated a hundred times he would not abandon this doctrine or hand over his books, nor would he consider himself excommunicated, for Friar Pierre Déjean was as great a saint as any doctor of the church, though not canonized. He believed all these things about the aforesaid Friar Pierre Déjean to be true, except that to avoid excommunication he would abandon his doctrine and surrender his books if he had any. He also said he had never believed Christ was alive when struck with the lance.

Again, he said he had believed for two years something he had heard from certain apostates and fugitives of the Order of Friars Minor and from certain beguin associates whom he names, and which he himself had read in the books of the aforesaid Pierre Déjean translated into the vernacular, namely that the Roman church as far as the reprobates within it was Babylon the great whore of which it is said in the Apocalypse (Apoc. 17:3-6) that she had a gold chalice in her hand filled with abominations and was drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus Christ, taking the Roman church to mean the church which is in Rome and also diffused throughout the world as far as the Roman Empire extended. It was the great whore, according to them, because it involved itself in carnal delights, pride, luxury, cupidity and simony. It was called "Babylon" because of its great power, and because it sinned confusedly and all things were confused in it. It was said to be drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus Christ because it persecuted those who maintained the poverty and life of Jesus Christ, and killed them. This Roman church would be destroyed and rejected in this time, they said, through the ten kings, some of which he names. They said Antichrist had already come, and some said that after this present pope, John XXII, whom they consider to be the mystical Antichrist preparing the way for the great Antichrist, a ravening wolf to be avoided by the faithful and not be obeyed by them, there would not be another pope before Antichrist, but that Antichrist would appear while this present pope was still living. There will then be two popes at the same time, namely this present pope and Antichrist. When Antichrist came he would attack all in the world that is Christ's. They say this Antichrist will be an apostate from the Order of Friars Minor, because it is the highest state in the church, as they say. They say it will be Friar Angelo, who is an apostate from the order. Others say the Lord Philip of Majorca is Antichrist. Many of them say Frederick the king of Sicily will be emperor and persecute the Roman church, causing the Antichrist to be adored by all. Some of them say the Antichrist will finish his career within three years, others say within thirteen. The say many other temerarious, schismatic, erroneous and heretical things about the various states of the church and the course of history, all of which the aforesaid Pierre Tort said he had believed, informed by the aforementioned apostates and beguins and by Pierre Déjean's commentary on the Apocalypse, in which he frequently read, as he said.

Again, the aforesaid Pierre Tort, said that, informed by the writings of Pierre Déjean, he had believed that Lord Pope John XXII, the present pope, was the mystical Antichrist. He also believed, as he said, that everything contained in the writings of Pierre Déjean was true.

Again, he said that, informed by others and by the writings of Friar Pierre Déjean, he had believed the Preaching Friars were pharisees.

The aforesaid Pierre Tort saw, associated with, and received in his home many apostates from the Order of Friars Minor whom he knew to be fugitives guilty of heresy, as well as many fugitive beguins who had temerariously taken off their crosses, and other beguins holding and defending various errors. He gave them his own possessions and neither revealed their presence, captured them, or worked toward their capture. On the contrary he hid them and arranged for their concealment. Nor did he confess any of this until he was arrested and in prison. Even then he withheld it for many days.

In July 1322, Pierre was sentenced to perpetual imprisonment at Carcassonne.

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