The Medieval Ascetics Called Perfect Heretics

Cathar leaders were known as Perfecti because they lived in extreme purity, avoiding all meat and sexual contact. Their followers believed these humble believers were actually walking, human-shaped angels.

These leaders were not traditional priests but ordinary people who committed to a life of total self-denial. Because they rejected the material world so strictly, they earned the title of perfect heretics from the Catholic Church. Interestingly, the movement was quite progressive for its time, as women could also reach this elite spiritual status. They were referred to as bonhommes or good people by their community, who viewed them as messengers from a higher realm.