At the age of twenty-five he was appointed upon the chapter of the
cathedral at Osma. Here he was conspicuous among his brethren on
account of his humility, holiness, and zeal for prayer. He spent nine
years in Osma, during which time divine Providence prepared him for his
important and great vocation. This vocation became plain to him when,
in the year 1204, he went to France and saw the terrible devastation
which the prevailing heresies had wrought against the Church of Christ.
The sight of this disaster nearly broke his heart. The poison of heresy
had spread among the faithful with great rapidity, and principally in
southern France. From the city of Albi the heretics had assumed the
name Albigenses. These Albigenses discarded the doctrines of
Christianity and constructed new doctrines that played havoc with
morality and social order. They were violent enemies of Church and
State, and preached disobedience and rebellion against spiritual and
temporal authority. An enemy of the Church is invariably also an enemy
of the State; history and experience prove this.

In southern France the Albigenses secured the support of Prince
Raimond, of Toulouse, a wealthy and mighty, but, at the same time, a
most godless and immoral prince of that time. He had several wives;
associated with heretics, and even gave his children to be educated by
them. This prince undertook the leadership of the heretical Albigenses,
and with them, and other rabble by which France at that time was
overrun, scoured the country, robbing and plundering wherever they
went. This lawless band, under the direction of this godless prince,
robbed churches of their treasures, murdered priests, even tore open
the tabernacles and desecrated the most holy Sacrament. A messenger of
Pope Innocent III was murdered by one of these knaves, who then found
the protection of this depraved prince. Under these conditions the Pope