These allegations were highly politicized and without any real substance. Accusations of Sodomy and unnatural acts were levelled against the Order of the Knights Templar in 1307 as part of Philip IV of France's attempt to suppress the order. The emergence of heretical groups, such as the Cathars and Waldensians, witnesses a rise in allegations of unnatural sexual conduct against such heretics as part of the war against heresy in Christendom. Medieval records reflect this growing concern. By the 11th century Sodomy was increasingly viewed as a serious moral crime and punishable by mutilation or death. In medieval Europe, attitudes toward homosexuality varied from region to region, determined by religious culture the Catholic Church, which dominated the religious landscape, considered, and still considers, sodomy as a mortal sin and a 'crime against nature'. ( April 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)
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