O.K....
I did some research on the Inquisition as an institution before it became “The Spanish Inquisition.” I’ll give a brief synopsis:
Before the Inquisition, some of the things that went on leading to the use of “force” in the name of religion:
- Empress Theodora had put to death multitudes of Paulicians: 10th Century
- Emporor Alexius Commenus put to death Bogomilists: year 1118
- Louis VIII of France delegated “punishment” to those excommunicated: King Louis was decreed the year 1226.
- Louis IX of France had fully ordered the burning of “heretics” at the stake: 1249
- In Germany, the “Mirror of Saxon Laws” compiled around 1235 embodied as a law to execute unbelievers “at the stake.”
It is also important to note that in Italy under Emperor Frederick II, at least up until 1224, there was NO imperial law in Italy that mandated torture or stake burning for heretics. This was inspired by writings from Pope Innocent III, and Pope Honorius III.
Right around 1231, the “Inquisition” came to being. This was under Pope Gregory IX, who was elected in 1227 at the ripe age of 80. How and why the inquisition came to being is actually not verified in history, and historians and theologians have different theories regarding the matter.
One thing that is historically verifiable, though, is that during the middle ages there was a constant struggle between the Church trying to maintain control over herself, and rulers and emperors trying to gain control over the church. These emperors wanted to have free reign and wanted to change church doctrine to do so. Due to the heresies that were flourishing in Europe at the time, one theory was that the Inquisition was instituted to curb not just the heresies that the people believed, but heresies that were propagated by the rulers themselves as a means to try to overthrow the Church to hoard power for themselves. This would also explain why Pope Gregory IX excommunicated Frederick II twice, AFTER 1224 when Frederick had instituted his torture and execution of “heretics” policy.
Now was Pope Gregory IX a softy to heretics? No. Records show that he knew of the evils that were going on with the persecution of heretics, but being imperfect and human he was focused on other things. He never mandaded that these evils be stopped like other Popes before and after him. This was his mistake, and no human is perfect. To his defense, though, he was 80 years old and basically having to fight a war, more or less, with certain rulers of states that wanted to overthrow the church. On top of that, death and torture for any crime was the norm in the middle ages.
So, it is important to reinerate that the “torture and death” penalties for heretics were instituted BEFORE the inquisition, and these policies where instituted by the GOVERNMENT who were the emperors of these countries.
It is also important to note that historically for its beginning decades the Inquisition did not prescribe or even allow torture and death penalties for heretics. The Franciscan and Dominican orders were placed in charge of the Inquisition because the hope was that they wouldnÂ’t be politically influenced by the worldly leaders and worldly laws. When the death and torture policies began, they were implemented by the government of the countries in where the heresies occurred. The Persecutions where carried out by the laws of the land, not by the Church itself.
As early as 1254, with Pope Innocent IV, the Church in fact prohibited perpetual imprisonment, torture, or death by the stake from the inquisitions. Similar mandates where given, in writing, by the proceeding Popes (Urban IV, Clement IV, Gregory X, Boniface VIII, etc.). The Laws of the Lands where the Inquisitons where occurring, however, would not allow these mandates to be implemented. The death and torture continued throughout the middle ages, but not by approval of the church.
SoÂ….what did we learn?
Although I oversimplified the argument before, the point still stands, and now I am bringing proof to the table. These sins where escalated by mixing Church and State, not by Church alone.
It is important that I clarify that no, Pope Gregory IX was not perfect. Neither was the Inquisitors who, at least after the first Century of the inquisition, probably knew that even though the church wouldn’t be punishing the people who were on trial, that the government of the land would torture and kill those convicted after they had left. Some of these people didn’t just make “mistakes” but they sinned very gravely indeed (in my opinion).
But it stands that these evils were in the hands of the people, and never once was it condoned by the religious doctrines of the Catholic Church. You will find no historical proof or doctrinal statements to prove me wrong on this point.
Once again, you canÂ’t blame the religion for the human pursuit of greed and power. If religion wasnÂ’t used as a vehicle or reasoning for these rulers to pursue greed and power, then something else would have been used instead.
:asian:
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