One of their main roles was to administer the "Consolamentum" (Consolation) to the dying—this ensured admittance of the soul of the deceased to heaven and normally required a request from the recipient to a Perfect for the "Consolamentum". This meant that many Perfects would not administer the "Consolamentum" to those who were beyond reason or sentient speech, as they clearly were not in a position to make the necessary request. One of the conditions of being a Credente was the uttering of the Convanenza, or Covenant, when encountering a Perfect, which involved the request for the Consolamentum should they be dying. This was aimed at enabling the Perfect to bestow the sacrament to those whose illness meant they could not ask for it. As mentioned above, the Cathars believed in a doctrine of reincarnation, interpreting the idea of Eternal Life promised in the Bible as meaning release from the cycle of successive births in this world, which they believed to be ruled over by Satan. The "Consolamentum" was thought to purify the soul through the Holy Spirit before death to enable its ascent to Christ.