The influence and significance of the Bogomil movement was by far not confined to Bulgaria. During the 11th century it was extremely influential in Asia Minor, Bosnia, Croatia, Dalmatia and, from there, during the next two centuries, the ideas of the Bogomils penetrated Western Europe and became particularly influential in France and Italy, among the Cathari. 'The heresy of the Cathari', an anonymous chronicle from the Middle Ages reads, 'was brought here from the lands lying on the other side of the sea, namely from Bulgaria: from there it was disseminated in many countries where it became extremely popular, viz. in the regions of Languedoc, Toulouse and Gascogne.
That is why the Albigenses were also called Bougri, from Bulgarians… At first the bishop of the Cathari was a certain Marco, who ruled over all Lombardians, Toscanians and Marcians. This same Marco had been made bishop by Bulgaria'. The Cathari held the Bogomil preachers from Bulgaria in great esteem and invited many of them to be their leaders. The Grand Council of the Cathari held in Saint Felicien (Southern France) in 1167 was chaired by the Bulgarian Bogomil ^bishop' Nikita. The Cathari translated Bogomil books en masse and used them in their services.
In Bulgaria the development of the Bogomil movement was marked by alternating periods of cruel persecutions and of tolerance on the part of the secular authorities. By the early 14th century the Bogomil ideology had acquired a pronounced ascetic, mystical and conciliatory character, it had lost its militant spirit and after Bulgaria's fall under Ottoman domination (end of the 14th century), when the Christian religion as a whole was subjected to persecution on the part of the ruling Mohammedan religion, the Bogomils mitigated their critical attitude towards it and their movement gradually disappeared. Almost simultaneously, turned to ashes by the stakes of the Inquisition, the movement of the Cathari ceased to exist in Western Europe.
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