Inquisition

The Inquisition (Latin: Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis Sanctum Officium) was an office of the Roman Catholic Church charged with suppressing heresy. Its actions and interactions with local governments are the subjects of considerable historical inquiry.

History

There were four Inquisitions; in chronological order, they were the Medieval Inquisition, the Spanish Inquisition, the Portuguese Inquisition and the Roman Inquisition. One would however be incorrect to presume that these were totally unrelated to each other and that the inquisition was limited to these discrete events.

Related Topics:
Medieval Inquisition - Spanish Inquisition - Portuguese Inquisition - Roman Inquisition

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Medieval Inquisition

: Main article: Medieval Inquisition

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The first of the Medieval Inquisitions is called the Episcopal Inquisition and was established in the year 1184 by a papal bull, an official letter from the Pope, entitled Ad abolendam; "For the purpose of doing away with". The Inquisition was in response to the growing Catharist heresy in southern France. It is called the "episcopal" because it was administered by local bishops, which in Greek is episcopos. The Episcopal Inquisition was not very effective for many reasons (see Medieval Inquisition).

Related Topics:
1184 - Papal bull - Catharist - France - Bishop - Medieval Inquisition

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The Papal Inquisition in the 1230s was in response to the failures of the Episcopal Inquisition and was staffed by professionals, trained specifically for the job as decreed by the Pope. Individuals were chosen from different orders and secular clergy, but primarily they came from the Dominican Order who had a number of traits that made them suitable (see Medieval Inquisition).

Related Topics:
Dominican Order - Medieval Inquisition

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Spanish Inquisition

: Main article: Spanish Inquisition

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The Spanish Inquisition was founded in 1478 in Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile. It was to a large extent under the control of the Spanish monarch, with only the Inquisitor General appointed by Rome. In its dealings with converted Muslims and Jews and also illuminists, the Spanish Inquisition, with its "auto de fe", represents a particularly notorious period in the history of the Inquisition. This inquisition also gave rise to the Peruvian Inquisition during the Viceroyalty of Peru which ended with its Independence on July 28, and also the Mexican Inquisition, which continued in the Americas until Mexican Independence.

Related Topics:
Ferdinand - Isabella of Castile - Illuminists - Auto de fe - Peruvian Inquisition - Viceroyalty of Peru - July - 28 - Mexican Inquisition

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It was abolished in 1834.

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Roman Inquisition

:Main article: Roman Inquisition

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Pope Paul III established, in 1542, a permanent congregation staffed with cardinals and other officials, whose task it was to maintain and defend the integrity of the faith and to examine and proscribe errors and false doctrines. This body, the Congregation of the Holy Office, now called the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, part of the Roman Curia, became the supervisory body of local Inquisitions. The Pope appoints one of the cardinals to preside over the meetings. There are usually ten other cardinals on the Congregation, as well as a prelate and two assistants all chosen from the Dominican Order. The Holy Office also has an international group of consultants, experienced scholars of theology and canon law, who advise it on specific questions. In 1616 these consultants gave their assessment of the propositions that the Sun is immobile and at the center of the universe and that the Earth moves around it, judging both to be "foolish and absurd in philosophy," and the first to be "formally heretical" and the second "at least erroneous in faith" in theology. This assessment led to Copernicus's De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium to be placed on the Index of Forbidden Books, until revised and Galileo Galilei to be admonished about his Copernicanism. It was this same body in 1633 that tried Galileo, condemned him for a "grave suspicion of heresy", and banned all his works.

Related Topics:
Pope Paul III - Cardinals - Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - Roman Curia - Prelate - Dominican Order - Copernicus - De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium - Index of Forbidden Books - Galileo Galilei

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Not all prosecutions of alleged heretics, atheists and other deviations from the Catholic faith were prosecuted by the Inquisition. In some countries, such as France under the ancien régime, atheists and blasphemers could be prosecuted by civilian courts, with the possible penalty of death.

Related Topics:
France - Ancien régime - Blasphemers - Death

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