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Medieval Inquisitions
“Our understanding of heresy and inquisition is not really in sync with the way things were in the middle ages. It has much more to do with early modern concept of Spanish inquisitions witch is a completely different thing”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: The Medieval World, Part II: Society, Economy, and Culture
“Why do myths persist despite the exsistance of authentic scholarship that refutes them? because avowed enemies of the church find them useful in discrediting the church and limiting its influence in the world.”
-Steve Weidenkopf The real Story of Catholic History Catholic Answers press 2017
“Great historical myths die hard....writers continue to spread traditional myths....even though they are fully aware of the new findings. They do so because they are determined to show that religion, and especially Christianity, is a dreadful curse upon humanity.”
-Rodney Stark Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History
Why Heresy is bad to the Medieval Mind
Heresy was very uncommon in the middle ages and the vast majority recanted when confronted with church theology. They often were misunderstanding spread by people with little of false theological training. Willful heresy was not at all common. To the medieval mind salvation was at stake and eternity. Heretics corrupts the soul and tears apart christian society. If they reject salvation by Christ and lead others astray, that is a disease that needs to be eradicated a serious public health issue. The arrival of the inquisitors was often a cause of celebration by the people. At this time period the soul was more important than the body. The church was responsible for the salvation of the soul. All European secular nations thought heresy was bad and needed to be rid of it. A heretic is a traitor to the King because a Monarch receives his authority from God through the Church witch the heretic rejects. Further the King is concerned he will face judgment from God if a heresy that denied salvation through Jesus is allowed to spread. The Old testament was viewed at actual history that recorded leaders being punished by God for allowing heretical beliefs flourish in their realms. It was the rulers job to rid the area of heretics. We are not that unfamiliar with heretics today. Professor Madden compares heresy to our world were neo Nazis are allowed a television station and radio station and are converting people leading to unrest and violence. In that time period they had different worldviews than we do today. Religion was everything at that time and all society was built around it. Anything done to disrupt Christianity also disrupts the entire way of society and secular life since they were not separated at this time. “Faith” was not a personal inward belief but a set of convictions. It effected culture and politics. Christianity was united at the time in the catholic faith. Heresy was seen as an active threat that sought to convert the faithful. It was seen as a threat to the soul. Further violence follows heresy by dividing communities. It was seen as a danger to souls but also to the social order since it often led to violent rebellions. It was a capital crime in secular law. Again Madden compares to modern times as being similar to if a man was carrying a gun that could shot himself or others. Even today we have heretics, Transphobia , Islamophobia , racism anything that goes against accepted tolerance and diversity. Diversity and tolerance meant nothing to the medieval mind, only truth. Yet since relativism is today's standard, we must not judge other cultures different than ours that allow inquisitions so how can we judge?
Purpose of the Inquisitions
“Inquisitions was originally set up to save lives”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: Heaven or Heresy: A History of the Inquisition
“The inquisition itself is a product of Roman law. And that means a legal code that had nothing at all to do with Christianity. That developed over many centuries before Christ was even born”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: Heaven or Heresy: A History of the Inquisition
Inquisition in Latin is “to inquire” and it comes from Roman [secular] law. The Secular governments of the time offered no rights to the heretics and the penalty was capital punishment to be burned at stake. Mobs at times lynched heretics without trials. The people would bring to the King or court a heretic and would look for punishments to avoid what they feared would be judgment from God if a heretic was allowed within their sphere. The judge or King would often give the people what they wanted and judge the heretic weather guilty or not to avoid upsetting the people giving the heretic no rights. The inquisitions were not sent to persecute or oppress other views as modern governments do today. The Church was concerned with the souls. They were formed to combat secular persecution of heretics. Persecution lessened under the inquisitions. At the time inquisitions were seen by secular rulers and society as far to lenient and slow. To concerned with the rights of the heretics and treating all equally.
"In France... the Inquisition was established by the authority of the Pope, as an orderly and judicial means of dealing with what was regarded as a terrible social and religious evil. Maycock writes: "In the thirteenth century the secular arm, as a rule, needed no encouragement in the vigorous prosecution of heresy. And, so far as the burning of heretics was concerned, the Inquisition was a damping factor rather than a driving force."Undoubtedly Vacandard is right when he says, 'Taking all in all, the Inquisition in its operation developed a real progress in the treatment of criminals; for it not only put an end to the vengeance of the mob, but it diminished considerably the number of others condemned to death.'
-Eustace Boylan, S.J. THE INQUISITION: IN THE LIGHT OF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
The Church wanted to convert the heretic back to the church and also to see if the heretic actually held heretical opinions to be judged by a knowledgeable theologian of the church. At times the local priest or judge/King were not the best to judge and would declare some views heretical even though they in actuality were not. Most medieval heresies were small and local and were due to bad education followed by recanting.
“The vast majority, by far the vast majority of cases in the middle ages are dismissed.... some misunderstanding”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: The Medieval World, Part II: Society, Economy, and Culture
“The medieval inquisitors were never numerous”
-Steve Weidenkompf The Real Story of Catholic History Catholic Answers press 2017
The Churches main goal was to save the soul of the heretic and to protect the unity of the church and society. They wanted conversion and not the death of the heretic. Inquisitors were sent to show the heretic why they were wrong and convert them. If the inquisitors failed in there job the heretic was handed over to the state. Inquisitions effected only post baptism Catholics who had fallen from a major doctrine. A list of procedures for papal inquisitors was used to determine if a heretics were in the faith. It did not effect Jews/Muslims. Inquisitors must be men of good faith and good morals and have theological training.
The medieval Inquisition were started in 1184. First Bishops were sent to determine heretics in their area from the Pope. These were to be done before secular law dealt with heretics [who would burn them at the stake] as the secular law was not accurate to determine true faith. Between the years of 1200-1400 inquisitors would move from one place to another, later they would be set up in big cities and heretics would be brought to them. The major heresy of the medieval times occurred in 1231 in the south of France that rejected Jesus divinity and humanity but instead thought him a phantom that did not die on the cross, and that the purpose of life was to free ourselves from bodies and the highest form of worship was suicide. They viewed Yahweh as spirit only and the god deity, and Jehovah was the god of the OT and material creator who created matter to enslave spirits and Yahweh sent Jesus to tell the truth. The church reacted. First the church held councils and condemned the heresy but it continued to spread rapid. An earlier Pope had sent missionaries to teach/preach and worked with secular rulers for help. Later a secular leader kills a papal legate and the pope calls a crusade, not an inquisition, to destroy the Heresy in reaction.
How They Operated
"There was no seeking out of heretics....someone had to accuse someone of being a heretic. And that person the accuser bore a penalty if they were wrong”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: Heaven or Heresy: A History of the Inquisition
Inquisitors come to a area and announce they are their and give a grace period of 30-40 days. They also would teach/preach the faith. They give an area where a heretic can come to confess and be brought back into the church. After the grace period is over the people would bring one accused of heresy and the evidence is gathered to bring a heretic to court where they would be tried. The defendant could gather evidence [and witnesses] and everything said by the defendant was recorded and written down. If they are found guilty, the inquisitors would try and show the heretic why they are wrong and why their soul is in danger, and try to bring them back.
Torture
“All the courts of Europe used torture, but the inquisition did so far less than other courts”
-Rodney Stark Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History
“Torture in the medieval legal process was understood as “the inquiry after truth by means of torment”
-Steve Weidemkompf The real Story of Catholic History Catholic Answers press 2017
Torture was legal in Roman law, and used by secular courts who used torture far more liberally. Torture was originally not allowed by the inquisitors. Yet it was allowed extensive in secular courts to bring about confession. It was a legal tool not a system of punishment in a time were truth was held above “rights”
“In the medieval inquisitor courts, torture was never used as a punishment for heresy ...not approved until 1252... and never became common...several groups of people were automatically excepted, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, knights, members of the nobility, and , in some cases clergy.”
-Steve Weidemkompf The real Story of Catholic History Catholic Answers press 2017
Later, when it was used, it was optional and most inquisitors did not chose to use it. The most famous inquisitor Bernard Gui said not to use it as it was not effective. It was regulated and inquisitors themselves could not use torture. They brought in secular ruler to do so under church regulated guidelines with the intent to get a confession or the truth, not a punishment. It only could be used once after all other options were used up. It was only used when the evidence shows a sure guilty verdict, but no confession has been made. A confession made by a supposed heretic in torture would be given a day of rest, than asked again if their confession was genuine.
“Inquisitors themselves were skeptical of the efficacy and validity of torture as a method.”
-Helen Rawlings The Spanish Inquisition Oxford Blackwell 2006
Catechism of the Catholic Church
2298 In times past, cruel practices were commonly used by legitimate governments to maintain law and order, often without protest from the Pastors of the Church, who themselves adopted in their own tribunals the prescriptions of Roman law concerning torture. Regrettable as these facts are, the Church always taught the duty of clemency and mercy. She forbade clerics to shed blood. In recent times it has become evident that these cruel practices were neither necessary for public order, nor in conformity with the legitimate rights of the human person. On the contrary, these practices led to ones even more degrading. It is necessary to work for their abolition. We must pray for the victims and their tormentors.
Punishments
“In the vast majority of cases they would be acquitted”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: Heaven or Heresy: A History of the Inquisition
Punishments for heretics that confesses and asked forgiveness were penance, fasting, wear special cloths [yellow with cross for period of time] give alms or go on pilgrimage [crusade]
“The penalties generally applied were “immuring” or imprisonment, or still more often, condemnation to pilgrimages or to wear a cloth cross sewn on ones garments”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: Heaven or Heresy: A History of the Inquisition
If the Heretic Refuses
“The death sentence was handed down and carried out by the state. The church itself never executed any heretics.”
--Steve Weidenkopf The real Story of Catholic History Catholic Answers press 2017
And the inquisitors cannot help, they give heretic over to the state. Death penalty from the state often was to burn at the stake. The catholic church never killed anyone, it was against cannon law to do so, they handed them over to the state. most cases did not end in death of heretic.
1227-1277 in France 5,000 executed 100 a year
Bernard Gui 16 years 930 judgments 42 given to state or less than 5%
“From a medieval perspective, the inquisitions were extremely tolerant and merciful ,in fact, the secular leaders would routinely complain about the inquisitions as being to much of a softy, that they would let people off that really should not have been let go”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: The Medieval World, Part II: Society, Economy, and Culture
“Our understanding of heresy and inquisition is not really in sync with the way things were in the middle ages. It has much more to do with early modern concept of Spanish inquisitions witch is a completely different thing”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: The Medieval World, Part II: Society, Economy, and Culture
“Why do myths persist despite the exsistance of authentic scholarship that refutes them? because avowed enemies of the church find them useful in discrediting the church and limiting its influence in the world.”
-Steve Weidenkopf The real Story of Catholic History Catholic Answers press 2017
“Great historical myths die hard....writers continue to spread traditional myths....even though they are fully aware of the new findings. They do so because they are determined to show that religion, and especially Christianity, is a dreadful curse upon humanity.”
-Rodney Stark Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History
Why Heresy is bad to the Medieval Mind
Heresy was very uncommon in the middle ages and the vast majority recanted when confronted with church theology. They often were misunderstanding spread by people with little of false theological training. Willful heresy was not at all common. To the medieval mind salvation was at stake and eternity. Heretics corrupts the soul and tears apart christian society. If they reject salvation by Christ and lead others astray, that is a disease that needs to be eradicated a serious public health issue. The arrival of the inquisitors was often a cause of celebration by the people. At this time period the soul was more important than the body. The church was responsible for the salvation of the soul. All European secular nations thought heresy was bad and needed to be rid of it. A heretic is a traitor to the King because a Monarch receives his authority from God through the Church witch the heretic rejects. Further the King is concerned he will face judgment from God if a heresy that denied salvation through Jesus is allowed to spread. The Old testament was viewed at actual history that recorded leaders being punished by God for allowing heretical beliefs flourish in their realms. It was the rulers job to rid the area of heretics. We are not that unfamiliar with heretics today. Professor Madden compares heresy to our world were neo Nazis are allowed a television station and radio station and are converting people leading to unrest and violence. In that time period they had different worldviews than we do today. Religion was everything at that time and all society was built around it. Anything done to disrupt Christianity also disrupts the entire way of society and secular life since they were not separated at this time. “Faith” was not a personal inward belief but a set of convictions. It effected culture and politics. Christianity was united at the time in the catholic faith. Heresy was seen as an active threat that sought to convert the faithful. It was seen as a threat to the soul. Further violence follows heresy by dividing communities. It was seen as a danger to souls but also to the social order since it often led to violent rebellions. It was a capital crime in secular law. Again Madden compares to modern times as being similar to if a man was carrying a gun that could shot himself or others. Even today we have heretics, Transphobia , Islamophobia , racism anything that goes against accepted tolerance and diversity. Diversity and tolerance meant nothing to the medieval mind, only truth. Yet since relativism is today's standard, we must not judge other cultures different than ours that allow inquisitions so how can we judge?
Purpose of the Inquisitions
“Inquisitions was originally set up to save lives”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: Heaven or Heresy: A History of the Inquisition
“The inquisition itself is a product of Roman law. And that means a legal code that had nothing at all to do with Christianity. That developed over many centuries before Christ was even born”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: Heaven or Heresy: A History of the Inquisition
Inquisition in Latin is “to inquire” and it comes from Roman [secular] law. The Secular governments of the time offered no rights to the heretics and the penalty was capital punishment to be burned at stake. Mobs at times lynched heretics without trials. The people would bring to the King or court a heretic and would look for punishments to avoid what they feared would be judgment from God if a heretic was allowed within their sphere. The judge or King would often give the people what they wanted and judge the heretic weather guilty or not to avoid upsetting the people giving the heretic no rights. The inquisitions were not sent to persecute or oppress other views as modern governments do today. The Church was concerned with the souls. They were formed to combat secular persecution of heretics. Persecution lessened under the inquisitions. At the time inquisitions were seen by secular rulers and society as far to lenient and slow. To concerned with the rights of the heretics and treating all equally.
"In France... the Inquisition was established by the authority of the Pope, as an orderly and judicial means of dealing with what was regarded as a terrible social and religious evil. Maycock writes: "In the thirteenth century the secular arm, as a rule, needed no encouragement in the vigorous prosecution of heresy. And, so far as the burning of heretics was concerned, the Inquisition was a damping factor rather than a driving force."Undoubtedly Vacandard is right when he says, 'Taking all in all, the Inquisition in its operation developed a real progress in the treatment of criminals; for it not only put an end to the vengeance of the mob, but it diminished considerably the number of others condemned to death.'
-Eustace Boylan, S.J. THE INQUISITION: IN THE LIGHT OF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
The Church wanted to convert the heretic back to the church and also to see if the heretic actually held heretical opinions to be judged by a knowledgeable theologian of the church. At times the local priest or judge/King were not the best to judge and would declare some views heretical even though they in actuality were not. Most medieval heresies were small and local and were due to bad education followed by recanting.
“The vast majority, by far the vast majority of cases in the middle ages are dismissed.... some misunderstanding”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: The Medieval World, Part II: Society, Economy, and Culture
“The medieval inquisitors were never numerous”
-Steve Weidenkompf The Real Story of Catholic History Catholic Answers press 2017
The Churches main goal was to save the soul of the heretic and to protect the unity of the church and society. They wanted conversion and not the death of the heretic. Inquisitors were sent to show the heretic why they were wrong and convert them. If the inquisitors failed in there job the heretic was handed over to the state. Inquisitions effected only post baptism Catholics who had fallen from a major doctrine. A list of procedures for papal inquisitors was used to determine if a heretics were in the faith. It did not effect Jews/Muslims. Inquisitors must be men of good faith and good morals and have theological training.
The medieval Inquisition were started in 1184. First Bishops were sent to determine heretics in their area from the Pope. These were to be done before secular law dealt with heretics [who would burn them at the stake] as the secular law was not accurate to determine true faith. Between the years of 1200-1400 inquisitors would move from one place to another, later they would be set up in big cities and heretics would be brought to them. The major heresy of the medieval times occurred in 1231 in the south of France that rejected Jesus divinity and humanity but instead thought him a phantom that did not die on the cross, and that the purpose of life was to free ourselves from bodies and the highest form of worship was suicide. They viewed Yahweh as spirit only and the god deity, and Jehovah was the god of the OT and material creator who created matter to enslave spirits and Yahweh sent Jesus to tell the truth. The church reacted. First the church held councils and condemned the heresy but it continued to spread rapid. An earlier Pope had sent missionaries to teach/preach and worked with secular rulers for help. Later a secular leader kills a papal legate and the pope calls a crusade, not an inquisition, to destroy the Heresy in reaction.
How They Operated
"There was no seeking out of heretics....someone had to accuse someone of being a heretic. And that person the accuser bore a penalty if they were wrong”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: Heaven or Heresy: A History of the Inquisition
Inquisitors come to a area and announce they are their and give a grace period of 30-40 days. They also would teach/preach the faith. They give an area where a heretic can come to confess and be brought back into the church. After the grace period is over the people would bring one accused of heresy and the evidence is gathered to bring a heretic to court where they would be tried. The defendant could gather evidence [and witnesses] and everything said by the defendant was recorded and written down. If they are found guilty, the inquisitors would try and show the heretic why they are wrong and why their soul is in danger, and try to bring them back.
Torture
“All the courts of Europe used torture, but the inquisition did so far less than other courts”
-Rodney Stark Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History
“Torture in the medieval legal process was understood as “the inquiry after truth by means of torment”
-Steve Weidemkompf The real Story of Catholic History Catholic Answers press 2017
Torture was legal in Roman law, and used by secular courts who used torture far more liberally. Torture was originally not allowed by the inquisitors. Yet it was allowed extensive in secular courts to bring about confession. It was a legal tool not a system of punishment in a time were truth was held above “rights”
“In the medieval inquisitor courts, torture was never used as a punishment for heresy ...not approved until 1252... and never became common...several groups of people were automatically excepted, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, knights, members of the nobility, and , in some cases clergy.”
-Steve Weidemkompf The real Story of Catholic History Catholic Answers press 2017
Later, when it was used, it was optional and most inquisitors did not chose to use it. The most famous inquisitor Bernard Gui said not to use it as it was not effective. It was regulated and inquisitors themselves could not use torture. They brought in secular ruler to do so under church regulated guidelines with the intent to get a confession or the truth, not a punishment. It only could be used once after all other options were used up. It was only used when the evidence shows a sure guilty verdict, but no confession has been made. A confession made by a supposed heretic in torture would be given a day of rest, than asked again if their confession was genuine.
“Inquisitors themselves were skeptical of the efficacy and validity of torture as a method.”
-Helen Rawlings The Spanish Inquisition Oxford Blackwell 2006
Catechism of the Catholic Church
2298 In times past, cruel practices were commonly used by legitimate governments to maintain law and order, often without protest from the Pastors of the Church, who themselves adopted in their own tribunals the prescriptions of Roman law concerning torture. Regrettable as these facts are, the Church always taught the duty of clemency and mercy. She forbade clerics to shed blood. In recent times it has become evident that these cruel practices were neither necessary for public order, nor in conformity with the legitimate rights of the human person. On the contrary, these practices led to ones even more degrading. It is necessary to work for their abolition. We must pray for the victims and their tormentors.
Punishments
“In the vast majority of cases they would be acquitted”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: Heaven or Heresy: A History of the Inquisition
Punishments for heretics that confesses and asked forgiveness were penance, fasting, wear special cloths [yellow with cross for period of time] give alms or go on pilgrimage [crusade]
“The penalties generally applied were “immuring” or imprisonment, or still more often, condemnation to pilgrimages or to wear a cloth cross sewn on ones garments”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: Heaven or Heresy: A History of the Inquisition
If the Heretic Refuses
“The death sentence was handed down and carried out by the state. The church itself never executed any heretics.”
--Steve Weidenkopf The real Story of Catholic History Catholic Answers press 2017
And the inquisitors cannot help, they give heretic over to the state. Death penalty from the state often was to burn at the stake. The catholic church never killed anyone, it was against cannon law to do so, they handed them over to the state. most cases did not end in death of heretic.
1227-1277 in France 5,000 executed 100 a year
Bernard Gui 16 years 930 judgments 42 given to state or less than 5%
“From a medieval perspective, the inquisitions were extremely tolerant and merciful ,in fact, the secular leaders would routinely complain about the inquisitions as being to much of a softy, that they would let people off that really should not have been let go”
-Thomas Madden The Modern Scholar: The Medieval World, Part II: Society, Economy, and Culture