consolamentum

Consolamentum is a term used for a key ritual of Catharism, a medieval Christian movement centered in the Languedoc region of France. The word derives from Latin consolamentum, meaning consolation or comfort. In Cathar belief, the rite was a spiritual sacrament that prepared the soul for salvation by cleansing it from sin and severing its ties to the material world.

The ceremony was typically reserved for a dying person and was administered by a Cathar Perfect (or an authorized agent within the Cathar community). It involved the laying on of hands and the recitation of prayers, and it was understood to confer grace or spiritual cleansing. There was no Eucharistic ritual as in Catholic practice; the emphasis was on the internal reconciliation of the soul rather than on outward rites. The Consolamentum was frequently described as the last or only sacrament necessary for salvation, and in many accounts its effect was viewed as irrevocable.

Historically, consolamentum is one of the best-documented aspects of Cathar practice, though details vary across sources. Inquisitorial records from the 13th century are among the main sources for its description, and they note its central role in Cathar devotion and the strict discipline of the elect versus the faithful and initiated. The rite largely ceased with the suppression of Catharism in the late medieval period.

See also: Catharism, Perfect (Cathar), Inquisition, Languedoc.