Christian Church crimes against Humanity – Part 6 The Children’s Crusade

 There are different historical accounts of the Children’s Crusade, but the essential theme, or story, is the same in all of them. In the year 1212 a shepherd named Nicholas in Germany, and a boy named Stephen of Cloyes in France, began preaching for a children’s crusade to convert the Muslims in the Holy Land to Christianity.

Wikipedia reports:
"Nicholas said that the sea would dry up before them and allow his followers to cross into the Holy Land. Rather than intending to fight the Saracens, he said that the Muslim kingdoms would be defeated when their citizens converted to Catholicism.His disciples went off to preach the call for the "Crusade" across the German lands, and they massed in Cologne after a few weeks. Splitting into two groups, the crowds took different roads through Switzerland. Two out of every three people on the journey died, while many others returned to their homes.About 7,000 arrived in Genoa in late August. They immediately marched to the harbor, expecting the sea to divide before them; when it did not many became bitterly disappointed. A few accused Nicholas of betraying them, while others settled down to wait for God to change his mind, since they believed that it was unthinkable he would not eventually do so.
The children were sold into slavery by two merchants (Hugh the Iron and William of Posqueres), who gave free passage on boats to as many of the children as were willing. The pilgrims were then either taken to Tunisia, where they were sold into slavery by the merchants or else died in a shipwreck on San Pietro Island off of Sardinia during a gale."

Summary:
Up to 30,000 children are given willingly by their families to join the Children’s Crusade. The leaders of the Crusade are Nicholas in Germany, or Stephen of Cloyes in France. They believe that they have God’s protection and they will march to the Holy Land through a dry land bridge caused by a parting of the Mediterranean Sea. They will convert the Muslims to Christianity and save the Holy Land.
 After a difficult trip over the Alps where many die, they reach Genoa, Italy and are disappointed the sea isn’t parted. Some leave the crusade to return home.  The remaining children are sold into slavery by a ship’s captain who promises to take them to the Holy Land. Some children die in a shipwreck.  The children who returned home find that members of their family have died.
None of the children ever reach the Holy Land.

The article based primarily on the Wikipedia.org entry on "The Children's Crusade"
and the historical book series "The Story of Civilization" by Will and Ariel Durant.


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William Schaeffer