Prayer to "the Believer" word for word, and having explained its
meaning, he continued: "We deliver to you this holy prayer, that you
may receive it from us, from God, and from the Church, that you may
have the right to say it all your life, day and night, alone and in
company, and that you may never eat or drink without first saying it.
If you omit it, you must do penance." The Believer replied "I receive
it from you and from the Church."[1]

[1] Cledat, _Rituel Cathare_, pp. xi-xv.

After these words came the _Abrenuntiatio_. At the Catholic baptism,
the catechumen renounced Satan, with his works and pomps. According
to the Catharan ritual, the Catholic Church was Satan.

"The Perfected" said to the Believer: "Friend, if you wish to be one
of us, you must renounce all the doctrines of the Church of Rome,"
and he replied: "I do renounce them."

--Do you renounce that cross made with chrism upon your breast, head,
and shoulders?

--I do renounce it.

--Do you believe that the water of Baptism is efficacious for
salvation?

--No, I do not believe it.

--Do you renounce the veil, which the priest placed upon your head,
after you were baptized?

--I do renounce it.[1]

Again the Bishop addressed "the Believer" to impress upon him the new
duties involved in his receiving the Holy Spirit. Those who were
present prayed God to pardon the candidate's sins, and then venerated
"the Perfected" (the ceremony of the _Parcia_). After the Bishop's
prayer, "May God bless thee, make thee a good Christian, and grant
thee a good end," the candidate made a solemn promise faithfully to
fulfill the duties he had learned during his _probatio_. The words of
his promise are to be found in Sacconi: "I promise to devote my life
to God and to the Gospel, never to lie or swear, never to touch a
woman, never to kill an animal, never to eat meat, eggs or milk-food;
never to eat anything but fish and vegetables, never to do anything
without first saying the Lord's Prayer, never to eat, travel, or pass
the night without a _socius_. If I fall into the hands of my enemies
or happen to be separated from my _socius_, I promise to spend three
days without food or drink. I will never take off my clothes on
retiring, nor will I deny my faith even when threatened with death."
The ceremony of the _Parcia_ was then repeated.

[1] Sacconi, _Summa de Catharis_, in Martens and Durand, _Thesaurus
novus anecdotorum_, vol. v, p. 1776.

Then, accordi