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 main concepts of the Dulcinian heresy were:

• 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.

Fra Dolcino was inspired by the millenarist theories of Gioacchino da Fiore. He viewed the history of humanity as 4 epochs:

• The period of the Old Testament;
• The period of Jesus Christ and the Apostles, characterized by chastity and poverty;
• The period of Emperor Constantine I and Pope Sylvester I, characterized by the decline of the Church due to ambition and excessive wealth;
• The period of the Apostolics, led by Segalelli and Dolcino, characterized by poverty, chastity and the absence of government.

In his first letter, Dolcino gave his interpretation of the seven Angels and seven Churches of the Apocalypse of John:

• The Angel of Ephesus was Saint Benedict, and his church was the monastic order;
• The Angel of Pergamom was Pope Sylvester I, and his church was the clerical order;
• The Angel of Sardis was Saint Francis, and his church was the Friars Minor;
• The Angel of Laodicea was Saint Dominic, and his church was the Friars Preacher;
• The Angel of Smyrna was Gerard of Parma, and his church was the Apostolic Brethren;
• The Angel of Thyatira was Fra Dolcino, and his church was the Dulcinian movement;
• The Angel of Philadelphia would be the new holy pope, and the last three churches would constitute "the new church of these new days".

This is a draft article and so will not be published on A Voice for Men or appear in random article selections. Wiki4Men is looking for trustworthy editors that can turn draft articles in to featured articles. Information on how to apply is on the Main Page. Template:Italy