John III of Portugal

John III (June 6, 1502–June 11, 1557; Portuguese: João III), nicknamed o Piedoso ("the Pious") was the fifteenth king of Portugal.

Inquisition

The Inquisition was introduced in Portugal by John III in 1536, after hesitations from Rome. In 1515, Manuel I had asked for the installation of the Inquisition, but it was instituted only after the accession of John III. As in Spain, the Inquisition was put under the authority of the King. The Grand Inquisitor, or General Inquisitor, was named by the Pope after the king's appointment and always from within the royal family. The Grand Inquisitor would later nominate other inquisitors. In Portugal, the first Grand Inquisitor was Cardinal Henry, who would later become King. There were Courts of the Inquisition in Lisbon, Coimbra and Évora. In 1560 inquisition was established in Goa.

Related Topics:
Inquisition - 1536 - 1515 - Manuel I - John III - Grand Inquisitor - Pope - Royal family - Cardinal Henry - Goa

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The activity of the courts was extended to book censure, divination, witchcraft and bigamy under John III. Book censure proved to have a strong influence in Portuguese cultural evolution, keeping the country uninformed and culturally backward. Originally oriented for a religious action, the Inquisition had an influence in almost every aspect of Portuguese society: politically, culturally and socially.

Related Topics:
Censure - Divination - Witchcraft - Bigamy - Cultural evolution

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