Pedro Berruguete. Saint Dominic Presiding over an Auto-da-fe (1475).

This article is about the medieval inquisition. See Inquisition (disambiguation) for other inquisitions.

The Medieval Inquisition is a series of Inquisitions (Roman Catholic Church bodies charged with suppressing heresy) from around 1184, including the Episcopal Inquisition (1184-1230s) and later the Papal Inquisition (1230s). It was in response to large popular movements throughout Europe considered apostate or heretical to Christianity, in particular Catharism and Waldensians in southern France and northern Italy. These were the first inquisition movements of many that would follow. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 351 × 598 pixelsFull resolution (447 × 762 pixel, file size: 127 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Pedro Berruguete. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 351 × 598 pixelsFull resolution (447 × 762 pixel, file size: 127 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Pedro Berruguete. ... Saint Dominic Presiding over an Auto-da-fe by Pedro Berruguete (1475), at the Prado Museum, Madrid. ... Dominic is usually a male name. ... 5^{Superscript text}7<!-- Comment --><blockquote> Block quote </blockquote>{| class=class=wikitable |- ! header 1 ! header 2 ! header 3 |-{| class=wikitable |- ! header 1 ! header 2 ! header 3{| class=wikitable |- ! header 1 ! header 2 ! header 3 |- | row 1, cell 1 | row 1, cell 2 | row 1, cell 3 |- | row 2... Inquisition can refer to: Inquisition, the name given to a number of historical movements in the Roman Catholic Church Protestant Inquisition, the persecution of alleged heretics by Protestants in the years immediately following the Reformation. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... For other uses, see Heresy (disambiguation). ... // Events Abbeville receives its commercial charter. ... // Events Abbeville receives its commercial charter. ... Centuries: 12th century - 13th century - 14th century Decades: 1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s 1220s - 1230s - 1240s 1250s 1260s 1270s 1280s Years: 1230 1231 1232 1233 1234 1235 1236 1237 1238 1239 Events and Trends Categories: 1230s ... Centuries: 12th century - 13th century - 14th century Decades: 1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s 1220s - 1230s - 1240s 1250s 1260s 1270s 1280s Years: 1230 1231 1232 1233 1234 1235 1236 1237 1238 1239 Events and Trends Categories: 1230s ... Apostasy (from Greek αποστασία, meaning a defection or revolt, from απο, apo, away, apart, στασις, stasis, standing) is a term generally employed to describe the formal renunciation of ones religion, especially if the motive is deemed unworthy. ... Heresy, as a blanket term, describes a practice or belief that is labeled as unorthodox. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Cathars being expelled from Carcassonne in 1209. ... The Waldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are a Christian denomination believing in poverty and austerity, promoting true poverty, public preaching and the literal interpretation of the scriptures. ...

Origins

The Medieval Inquisitions were in response to growing religious movements, in particular the Cathars first noted in the 1140s and the Waldensians starting around 1170, in southern France and northern Italy. Individual "Heretics", for example Peter of Bruis, had often challenged the Church. However, the Cathars were the first mass heretical organization in the second millennium that posed a serious threat to the authority of the Church. Cathars being expelled from Carcassonne in 1209. ... Centuries: 11th century - 12th century - 13th century Decades: 1090s 1100s 1110s 1120s 1130s - 1140s - 1150s 1160s 1170s 1180s 1190s Years: 1140 1141 1142 1143 1144 1145 1146 1147 1148 1149 Events and Trends Abbot Suger rebuilds the monastery of St Denis outside Paris, seen as the initiation of the Gothic... The Waldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are a Christian denomination believing in poverty and austerity, promoting true poverty, public preaching and the literal interpretation of the scriptures. ... December 29: Assassination of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, in Canterbury cathedral City of Dublin captured by the Normans According to folklore, the Welsh prince Madoc sailed to North America and founded a colony. ... Peter of Bruys (or de Bruis) (1st half 12th Century) -- Peter was an early heretic in medieval Europe. ...

History

All big hugemedieval inquisitions were decentralized. Authority rested with local officials based on guidelines from the Holy See, but there was no central top-down authority running the inquisitions, as would be the case in post-medieval inquisitions. Thus there were many different types of inquisitions depending on the location and methods; historians have generally classified them into the episcopal inquisition and the papal inquisition.

The first medieval inquisition, the episcopal inquisition, was established in the year 1184 by a papal bull 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 "episcopal" because it was administered by local bishops, which in Latin is episcopus. The episcopal inquisition was not very effective for many reasons. The bishops often did not reside in their dioceses, living in far-off cities such as Rome and rarely, if ever, visiting. When they did visit, bishops were busy and had many other responsibilities. Also, the procedures used in this inquisition were not effective. For example, according to the Ad abolendam, it was required to reveal the name of the accuser to the accused, and this would often lead to the revenge killing of the accuser before the trial. Papal bull of Pope Urban VIII, 1637, sealed with a leaden bulla. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Catharism. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      This article... Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ...

In the 1230s, Pope Gregory IX^[1] responded to the failures of the episcopal inquisition with a series of papal bulls which became the papal inquisition. The papal inquisition was staffed by professionals, trained specifically for the job. Individuals were chosen from different orders and secular clergy, but primarily they came from the Dominican Order. The Dominicans were favored for their history of anti-heresy, education, and skill in debate. As mendicants, they were accustomed to travel and not interested in personal gain. Unlike the haphazard episcopal methods, the papal inquisition was thorough and systematic, keeping detailed records. Some of the most useful documents from the Middle Ages involving first-person speech by medieval peasants come from papal inquisition records.cody Centuries: 12th century - 13th century - 14th century Decades: 1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s 1220s - 1230s - 1240s 1250s 1260s 1270s 1280s Years: 1230 1231 1232 1233 1234 1235 1236 1237 1238 1239 Events and Trends Categories: 1230s ... Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino dei Conti, was pope from 1227 to August 22, 1241. ... “Dominicans” redirects here. ... The term mendicant refers to begging or otherwise relying on charitable donations, and is most widely used for religious followers or ascetics who rely exclusively on charity to survive. ...

Hey people. In northern Europe the Inquisition was considerably more benign: in the Scandinavian countries it had hardly any impact (although northern Europe had its own institutions such as the "witchhunt"). The Inquisition was never instituted in England, but Christopher Columbus carried it with him to the New World. It existed in the kingdom of Aragon during this period, but not elsewhere in the Iberian peninsula. A witch-hunt is a search for suspected witches; it is a type of moral panic. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Christopher Columbus (1451 – May 20, 1506) was a navigator and colonialist who is one of the first Europeans to discover the Americas, after the Vikings. ... Frontispiece of Peter Martyr dAnghieras De orbe novo (On the New World). Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, 1722. ... Capital Zaragoza Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 4th  47,719 km²  9. ...

Inquisition procedure

The papal inquisition developed a number of procedures to discover and prosecute heretics.

Investigation

When a papal inquisition arrived at a town it had a set of procedures and rules to identify likely heretics. First, the townspeople would be gathered in a public place. Although attendance was voluntary, those who failed to show would automatically be suspect, so most would come. The inquisitors would provide an opportunity for anyone to step forward and denounce themselves in exchange for easy punishment. As part of this bargain they would need to inform on other heretics. In addition, the inquisitors could simply force people to be interrogated. Once information had been gathered, an inquisitorial trial could begin.

Trial

The inquisitorial trial generally favored the prosecution (the Church). The accused was expected to self-incriminate and did not have the right to face and question the accuser. It was acceptable to take testimony from criminals, persons of bad reputation, excommunicated people, and convicted heretics. Blood relationship did not exempt one from the duty to testify against the accused. The inquisitor could keep a defendant in prison for years before the trial to obtain new information. Criminal law (also known as penal law) is the body of law that regulates governmental sanctions (such as imprisonment and/or fines) as retaliation for crimes against the social order. ...

Despite the seeming unfairness of the procedures, the inquisitors did provide some rights to the defendant. At the beginning of the trial, defendants were invited to name those who had "mortal hatred" against them. If the accusers were among those named, the defendant was set free and the charges dismissed; the accusers would face life imprisonment. This option was meant to keep the inquisition from becoming involved in local grudges. A confession under torture was not admissible in court, although the inquisitor could threaten the accused with torture during the proceedings. For the direction right, see left and right or starboard. ...

Torture

Torture was used after 1252. On May 15, Pope Innocent IV issued a papal bull entitled Ad exstirpanda, which authorized the use of torture by inquisitors. Torture methods that resulted in bloodshed, mutilation or death were forbidden. Also, torture could be performed only once. However, it was common practice to consider a second torture session to be a "continuation" of the first. For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Pope Innocent IV (Manarola, 1180/90 – Naples, December 7, 1254), born Sinibaldo de Fieschi, Pope from 1243 to 1254, belonged to the feudal nobility of Liguria, the Fieschi, counts of Lavagna. ... Papal bull of Pope Urban VIII, 1637, sealed with a leaden bulla. ... Ad exstirpanda is a papal bull issued on May 15, 1252, by Pope Innocent IV, which was confirmed by Pope Alexander IV on November 30, 1259, and by Pope Clement IV on November 3, 1265. ... For other uses, see Torture (disambiguation). ...

Punishment

Among the possible punishments were a long pilgrimage for first offenders, wearing a yellow cross for life, confiscation of property, banishment, public recantation, or long-term imprisonment. Burning at the stake was only for the most serious cases, including repeat offenders and unrepentant heretics. Execution was done not by the Church, which was forbidden to kill, but by secular officials. The accused could have all of his property confiscated, and in many cases, accusers may have been motivated by a desire to take the property of the accused.

The inquisitors generally preferred not to hand over heretics to the secular arm for execution if they could persuade the heretic to repent. It was in the inquisitors' interest to be perceived as merciful, and they generally preferred to keep defendants alive in hopes of obtaining confessions. For example, Bernard Gui, a famous inquisitor working in the area of Toulouse (in modern France), executed 42 people out of over 900 guilty verdicts in fifteen years of office. Execution was to admit defeat, that the Church was unable to save a soul from heresy, which was the goal of the inquisition. Bernards Arbor genealogiae regum Francorum, showing consanguinity of the kings of France Bernard Gui (1261 or 1262 – 30 December 1331), also known as Bernardo Gui or Bernardus Guidonis, was an inquisitor of the Dominican Order in the Late Middle Ages during the Medieval Inquisition, Bishop of Lodève, and... New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land...

Legacy

The inquisitions in combination with the brutal Albigensian Crusade were fairly successful in eliminating mass heresy. When they started, the heretical sects were quite strong and growing, but by the 14th century the Waldensians had been driven underground and the Cathars had been slaughtered en masse or forced to recant. The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade (1209 - 1229) was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate the heresy of the Cathars of Languedoc. ...

See also

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages/Volume I/Chapter I

• Spanish Inquisition
• Roman Inquisition
• Nicolau Aymerich

Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... This article is about one of the historical Inquisitions. ... The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) (Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei) is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. ... Nicolau Aymerich, b. ...

References

1. ^ A History of the Inquisition

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia: "Inquisition"
• Catholic Answers: "The Inquisition"