Crusade Against the Grail - Rennes-le-Chateau Research and ...

88 PART Two
was going to assume special responsibilities and face dangers in case of
persecution.
If the neophyte was married, his wife was asked if she was prepared to
break their marriage bonds to donate her husband to God and the Gospel. If
a woman was going to receive the consolamentum, the questions were
directed to the husband.
The priest asked the believer, "Brother, do you wish to embrace our
faith?"
"Yes, Father."
Then the neophyte would kneel, touching the ground with his hands
and saying, "Bless me."
This was repeated three times; each time, the neophyte would move a
little closer to the priest, adding after the third time, "Father, ask God to
lead me, a sinner, to a good end."
"Shall God bless you, make a good Christian of you, and lead you to a
good end."
The solemn oath of the new member followed.
"I promise," he continued, while still kneeling, "to dedicate myself to
God and his Gospel, never to lie, never to take an oath, never to have any
contact with a woman, never to kill an animal, never to eat meat, and to
feed myself only with fruits. Furthermore, I promise never to travel, never
to live or eat without one of my brothers, and in the case that I should fall
into the hands of our enemies or be separated from my brothers, to abstain
for three days from all nourishment. In addition, I promise never to betray
my Faith, whatever death awaits me."
He then asked for a benediction three times as all those present fell to
their knees. Then the priest would come up to him and let him kiss the
Bible, which was then placed on his head. Then all the Perfecti entered.
Some put their right hand on his head, others on his back, and all those
present said, "Let us pray to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
The officiating priest asked God to dignify the neophyte by letting the
Holy Spirit and Consoler descend upon the new brother. The assembly
recited the Lord's Prayer and the priest read the first seventeen verses of the
Gospel according to Saint John. Then they dressed the consoled brother
with a plaited sash, which was symbolically called the "habit." 25
Finally, the Perfecti gave the new Pure One the kiss of peace. This