Guilhèm Belibasta was named after the famous heretic Guillaume Bélibaste or Guilhèm Belibasta as he is known in England who was burned at the stake in 1321 during the 13th century French Inquisitions. He was a Carthar Parfait, a preacher and mentor although later was disgraced for breaking the vows and words that he had devoted his life too.

Catharism -

In the 12th century AD, a religion emerged in the Languedoc called Catharism and it was embraced with zeal by Lords and peasants alike.

The basic ideas of Catharism was that there were two creations, the good, or spiritual world over which God reigns, and the evil and material world governed by Satan. Man was caught in the evil world. The Cathars held austere beliefs and renounced worldly pleasures. They believed that in order to go to heaven, the soul had to be pure. The Cathars were tolerant of other peoples religions and believed in equality of the sexes. Their belief of equality of the sexes was a major problem for the Catholic church which wanted to suppress women

The Cathars were pacifist by nature and their leaders, known as parfaits, lead an austere lifestyle. There were 40,000 Croyants (believers) with a 1000 priests (parfaits). The croyants lived normal lives, but could become parfaits after a three year apprenticeship. The male and female priests shared their time between preaching and doing work.
The Cathars were in conflict with the orthodox Roman Catholic Church. The Cathars believed that the Roman Catholic Church had lost its way and was too materialistic. The Roman Church were fearful that the Cathar lifestyle was a threat to both their income and way of living, and declared them to be heretics and that they had to repent or be killed; in an attempt to bring the populous back into the fold, one of the Pope's representatives met with Raymond IV of Toulouse, who was known to be a protector of the Cathars, but was assassinated during the meeting.

The crusades against the Cathars was ordered, and in 1209 a papal army of more than 30,000 Knights from across Europe. Many of them of a predatory nature, seeking land and wealth, descended on the Languedoc under the command of Simon de Montfort, and quickly took control of the eastern parts of the Languedoc, including Nimes. The soldiers had been sent to kill and exterminate the Cathar religion. The killing went on for 35 years claiming thousands of lives of men women and children

The Crusaders then laid siege to Beziers on July 22nd, 1209, having just captured the village of Servian to the east of Beziers. The city was pillaged and burned. When the Papal Legate, Arnaud, was asked how they were to tell the Roman Catholics from the Cathars, he told the Crusaders "Kill them all. God will recognize his own". Most of the population were gathered into the Cathedral which was then set alight. Nearly 20,000 men, women and children were slaughtered. Beziers was reduced to ashes.

During the Autum of 1209 the castle at Puisserguier was captured by Guiraud de Pepieux, Lord of a small estate, and a Cathar sypathiser, but before Simon de Montfort and the crusaders arrived Pepieux had escaped with two Crusader knights that he had taken prisoner in the castle and fled together with many other Cathars to Minerve. After abusing his prisoners he released them to walk off to Carcassonne which was the next objective of the Crusdaers. Carcassonne fell after a short resistance, followed quickly by Castelnaudary, Montreal, Limoux, Castres and Albi.

The crusade against the Cathars continued, and the towns of Lastours and Bram fell to the crusaders. Then in June, 1210, Simon de Montfort laid seige, to the impregnable fortress village of Minerve. He attacked St Rustique's well, the principal water source for the village. Four catapults were set up around the village, the largest named "Malevoisine" to destroy the well. The population of Minerve held out for several weeks, but ran out of water when the crusaders managed to destroy the town's well. Viscount Guilhem of Minerve knew that the 200 men of his garrison couldn't resist the onslaught; he negotiated the town's surrender. He saved the villagers and himself, but 180 Cathars who had taken refuge were burnt at the stake when they refused to deny their faith. This terrible act would be repeated for another 34 years until the fall of Montsegur.

In 1231 Pope Gregory IX authorised Dominican friars to form an inquisition, when the Church clamped down on anyone veering from the 'path'. Montaillou was a very small village in the Ariege in southern France - it is distinguished by being one of the last pockets of Catharism in the area. The Bishop of Pamiers - Jacques Fournier - later to be Archbishop of Albi and finally Pope Benedict XII, interrogated accused heretics which he minutely recorded, and provides us with an intimate record of their daily lives.

Minor pockets of Catharism continued in the Dordogne, Toulouse,and the Corbieres until the castle at Montsegur was defeated in 1244 followed by the fortress at Queribus in 1255. This marked the final military operation against the Cathars.

It was in the castle at Villerouge-Termenes, that once belonged to the Archbishops of Narbonne that the last known cathar parfit, Guilhem Bélibaste, was burnt alive in 1321.
Guillaume Bélibaste was the son and name sake of Guillaume Bélibaste, a rich farmer who lived in the south west of France. After killing a shepherd he left France and settled in Catalonia becoming a shepherd, a Cathar mentor and preacher.

The End of Bélibaste and Catharism -

Guillaume Bélibaste reputation was tarnished later in his life because of the violation of the celibacy demanded of the Cathar elect, Bélibaste enjoyed sexual relations with at least one woman. According to Cathar belief, this act nullified the effects of the Consolamentum so from that point onwards he was no longer a Parfait.
In 1313 Belibaste's lover, Raymonde Piquier, became pregnant, Bélibaste persuaded his friend Pierre Maury to marry her to provide cover for his relationship with her, making it appear the child was Maury's. A few days later, he dissolved the marriage apparently stricken by jealousy.
After a sting operation initiated by the Inquisitor Bishop of Pamiers Belibaste was eventually betrayed by a spy in the service of the inquisition and was forced to return to territory controlled by the Inquisition, he was captured and condemned to death. His last night on earth went some way to restoring his tarnished reputation, since he spent it trying to help the friend who had betrayed him. He was burned at the stake in 1323, in Villerouge Termenès, the property of the Archbishop of Narbonne.