Huesca, Duando De

Huesca, Duando de a celebrated member of the Albigenses (q.v.), flourished in the first half of the 13th century. He at length yielded to Romish influences, and returned to that Church, in which he founded a religious community under the name of 'Poor Catholics." In 1207 he went to Rome, and obtained the remission of his heresy from Innocent III, and was by this pope declared the superior of his fraternity. The members of this community lived o(n alms, applied themselves to study and teaching, kept Lent twice a year, and wore a habit of white or gray, with shoes open at the top, but distinguished by some particular mark from those of the Poor Men of Lyons (Insabatati). "The new order spread so rapidly that in a few years it had numerous convents both south and north of the Pyrenees. But, although they professed to devote themselves to the conversion of heretics, and Huesca wrote some books with that view they soon incurred the suspicion of the bishops, who accused them of favoring the Vaudois (q.v.), and concealing their heretical tenets under the monastic garb. They had sufficient influence to maintain themselves for some time, and even to procure letters from his holiness, exhorting the bishops to endeavor to gain them by kindness instead of alienating their minds from the Church by severe treatment; but their enemies at last prevailed, and within a short time no trace of their establishments was to be found." — McCrie, Reformation in Spain, p. 36 sq.; list. Gie. de Languedoc, 3, 147 sq. (3. H, W.)