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To: AEMILIUS PAULUS; Zakeet
Much as I love St. Bernard of Clairvaux, his 2nd Crusade efforts didn't turn out glorious. First, it was disgraced by the slaughter of Jews in the Rhineland; Bernard and the Pope opposed this vigorously and intervened to stop it, but it was one of those "loose-the-dog-of-war" things: once unleashed, almost impossible to control.

Then there was the matter of the 2nd Crusade being almost entirely unsuccessful against the Seljuk Turks. the main Catholic armies, of France and Germany, were separately whipped by the Turks, and when the remnants of these forces finally regrouped and converged on Damascus, they were wiped out, a disaster that contributed directly to the fall of Jerusalem to the Muslims.

The final years of St. Bernard's life were blighted by the blame for the crusade's failures which was placed upon his shoulders, and the shame that he himself felt, since in his judgment it was because of the sins of the Crusaders that God allowed them to be annihilated (causing, also, a shortfall of men vis-a-vis women in Europe, which crippled Western Europe for generations afterwards.)

Other than that, a wonderful time was had by all.

50 posted on 07/12/2013 6:02:48 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Matthew 19:17)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

He also helped form the Teutonic Knights by writing what may be called a constitution. Our Western Civilization was just coming into being in those days. Civilizations destined for greatness are very exclusive and often severe, even cruel, quite the opposite of those that are dying such as ours. In many instances men of dying Civilizations will not even lift a finger to defend themselves, their families or their property. Bernard whatever his later personal feelings helped in giving the emerging “People” direction for the next centuries. God Bless him!


51 posted on 07/12/2013 8:06:27 AM PDT by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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