Stephen of cloyes biography of michael

Did medieval children go to war for the Catholic Church?

By some accounts, they did, led by a 12-year-old crusader named Stephen of Cloyes.

By the time he and his followers reached Paris in 1212, they were exhausted, hungry and thirsty.

Stephen of cloyes biography of michael jackson

But nothing could keep him from his bold mission. His entourage waited as Stephen demanded—and got—an audience from the King of France to ask for permission to conduct a crusade.

Stephen’s vision was grandiose: Along with his followers, he’d remove Muslims from Jerusalem and reclaim the Holy Land for Catholics.

But there was something else striking about Stephen—his age.

His followers were children, too, lured from their families by Stephen’s sermons about a divine vision he’d had. And though King Philip turned down Stephen’s request, they were undaunted.

Unarmed and unprepared, these kids were determined to strike out on a crusade of their own.

But the Children’s Crusade of 1212, as it is now known, has gone down in history as a misguided disas