Pierre Valdo

Peter Waldo
Statue of Peter Waldo at the Luther Memorial at Worms, Germany
Born	c. 1140
Died	c. 1205 (aged 64–65)
Occupation	Spiritual leader, theologian, merchant
Notable work	No known works that survived Roman Catholic persecution
Theological work
Tradition or movement	Waldensian

Peter Waldo, Valdo, Valdes, or Waldes (c. 1140 – c. 1205), also Pierre Vaudès or de Vaux, is credited as the founder of the Waldensians, a Christian spiritual movement of the Middle Ages. Followers gradually merged with other regional Protestant groups in Europe, descendants of which continue in various regions of southern Europe. However, Eberhard de Béthune cited evidence showing that the name Waldenses appeared in documents (1170) more than 10 years before the major years of Waldo's activism. The monk Bernard de Foncald wrote about the heretics who were known as "Valdensis," who were condemned during the pontificate of Pope Lucius II in 1144, decades before Peter Waldo. These extant citation sources document that the name Valdenses had been applied to religious groups before Peter Waldo's time.

Most details of Waldo's life are unknown. Extant sources relate that he was a wealthy clothier and merchant from Lyons and a man of some learning. Sometime shortly before the year 1160, he was inspired by a series of events, firstly, after hearing a sermon on the life of St. Alexius, secondly, rejection of transubstantiation when it was considered a capital crime to do it, thirdly, the sudden and unexpected death of a friend during an evening meal. From this point onward he began living a radical Christian life, giving his property over to his wife, while the remainder of his belongings he distributed as alms to the poor.

At about this time, Waldo began to preach and teach publicly, based on his ideas of simplicity and poverty, notably that "No man can serve two masters, God and Mammon." he condemned Papal excesses and Catholic dogmas, including purgatory and transubstantiation. He said that these dogmas were "the harlot" from the book of Revelation. By 1170 Waldo had gathered a large number of followers, referred to as the Poor of Lyons, the Poor of Lombardy, or the Poor of God. They evangelized their teaching while traveling as peddlers. Often referred to as the Waldensians (or Waldenses), they were distinct from the Albigensians or Cathari.