Dulcinians

The Dulcinians were a religious sect of the Late Middle Ages, originating within the Apostolic Brethren. The Dulcinians, or Dulcinites, and Apostolics were inspired by Franciscan ideals and influenced by the Joachimites, but were considered heretical by the Catholic Church. Their name derives from the movement's leader, Fra Dolcino of Novara (ca. 1250–1307), who was burned as a heretic on the orders of Pope Clement V.

The Dulcinians wanted:

• The fall of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and return of the Church to its original ideals of humility and poverty.
• The fall of the feudal system.
• Human liberation from any restraint, and from entrenched power.
• Creation of a new egalitarian society based on mutual aid and respect, holding property in common and respecting gender equality.

See Also

• Margaret of Trent