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PLUTH, Alphonsus and Carl Koch
The Inquisistion in Operation The word inquisition simply means "inquiry." Its purposes were to find out who the heretics were and to persuade them to give up their heresy. After the judges who were to hold an inquisition arrived in town, they called known heretics to come in, to confess their sins, and to receive a penance--such as the recitation of prayers, fasting, going on a pilgrimage, paying a fine, or being flogged. Then the public was invited to report any heretics they knew about. Two witnesses were sufficient to make a charge against an accused person, but the names of the witnesses were kept secret. The thinking was that this way the accused would have to answer the charges and not simply attack the credibility of the two witnesses. Inevitably some people would falsely accuse an enemy of heresy just to get him or her "out of the way"--often for political or financial reasons. If the heretic refused to give up his or her beliefs, he or she faced severe punishments, such as life imprisonment or death by burning at the stake. The sentences were made publicly, as were the executions of the condemned parties. The cases were heard by church authorities; the execution of sentences was in the hands of civil authorities. The judges had to consult a board of advisers, composed of clergy and laymen, before bringing in the civil power. Sometimes such action was held back for as much as a year in the hopes that the heretic would have a change of heart and mind. The Inquisition threw fear into the hearts of men and women, but they accepted it as a necessary evil. Fearing the effects of heresy on their lives they were willing to turn in a heretic for trial, and when it was over, they witnessed the punishments. Actually there were amazingly few actual executions during this age when a king or lord often condemned subjects to death for even trivial offenses. At least with the Inquisition a person came before a jury and had a chance to tell his or her side; this was not the case with many civil authorities. Bernard Gui, a judge of the Inquisition known for his severe punishments, presided over 930 trials. Only forty-two persons were turned over to civil authorities for punishment--fewer than 5 percent of the accused. Neither was the Inquisition a usual procedure everywhere. During this period it was used principally in southern France, northern Italy, and parts of northern Spain. It was held for only a short time in Germany, and not at all in England or Scandinavia. By the end of the thirteenth century, the Inquisition was discontinued except for occasional instances in particular countries--most notably Spain. Christians living today look with condemnation at the Inquisition, but this was not the attitude of most people of that period. Pluth, Alphonsus and Carl Koch. The Catholic Church: Our Mission in History. Winona: St. Mary's, 1985. |