The Cathars were a religious sect that emerged in the Languedoc region of Southern France during the 12th century. They held beliefs deemed heretical by the Catholic Church, including the rejection of materialism, denial of the sacraments, and belief in dualism, viewing the material world as inherently evil. Cathar communities were centered around principles of asceticism and spiritual purity. The Cathars faced persecution from the Catholic Church, which culminated in the Albigensian Crusade launched against them in the 13th century. Despite efforts to suppress them, Catharism persisted in some areas until the 14th century.