A Crusade, then, was an armed pilgrimage called by the pope whose voluntary participants undertook their penitential journey for promised spiritual benefits (the indulgence).

The Crusades in the Holy Land and North Africa were not offensive wars of conquest and destruction, but rather defensive just wars designed to retake ancient Christian lands conquered by the Muslims.

There are many myths about the Crusades, but one of the most persistent, especially in the media, is the idea that the Crusades were offensive wars of conquest and destruction waged against a peaceful, tolerant, and enlightened Muslim civilization—illustrating the hypocrisy of a Church founded by the Prince of Peace engaging in “holy” warfare. This