Medieval+Inquisition

=__**The Medieval Inquisition**__= By Andrei Tong and Solomon Mankin

Table of Contents
- Devices used in Torture 4. Spanish Inquisition and the Roman Inquisition
 * 1) Heresy and the Inquisition
 * 2) The Trial
 * 3) Torture

A basic timeline of the inquisition during medieval times.

Heresy and the Inquisition
During medieval times, the church faced several problems, including heresy. The church viewed different ideas on church beliefs as sinful. There were two types of heresy. One type of heresy was where people thought that the church was working differently than it was created to be. Another type of heresy was called Catharism. This was where people claimed themselves as Christians, but actually had different ideas than the church had. These two types of heresy in the church caused Pope Gregory IX to establish the inquisition in 1231. The job of the the inquisition was to get rid of those people who spread heresy around the church. By the end of the 13th century, the inquisition would spread throughout Europe and to the lands that the pope had power in. Bureacracies were formed in each region in those lands to help the inquisition to be more stable and organized.

The Trial
Inquisitors acted as judges, and oversaw those who were accused of commiting heresy in a trial. Inquisitors questioned the accused in the presence of a large audience and any witnesses who would testify against the heretic. Usually two inquisitors, a few secretaries, and several other members traveled around to make up a inquisitor court. The inquisitors would use many types of methods to force an answer from the victim, such as torture. For those who confessed and repented, they would have all their land taken away and be imprisoned for life. They would also be forced to tell the inquisitors about other heretics that were out there. But for those who were found guilty, much worse circumstances occurred. One famous trial, that happened in the 17th century was about the works of Galileo. He was later put under house arrest, which led him to achieve even greater scientific discoveries.

Torture
In cannon law, there was no law written about the use of torture by Christians. In 1252, Pope Innocent the IV decreed a series of laws to combat the heresy. In these laws (known as the Ad Extripanda), Christians were given the right to torture anyone who was thought to be spreading heresy. In between the 14th and 18th centuries torture was a common practice, After confessing, the people were most likely put to death by being burnt at the stake. This happened to many people, including Joan of Arc. Many of the torturers came from the Dominican Order and the Franciscans, which were both formed by Saints (Saint Dominican and Saint Francis). Most of these torturing devices were also used in the start of the witch hunts in Europe.

Devices Used in Torture
Many devices were used to torture heretics. One of these devices was the iron maiden, which was a closed coffin with sharp nails all around inside. It would stab the person inside the device, but would not kill you because it would not puncture any vital organs. Another tool used on heretics was the rack. The victim was tied across it along their ankles and wrists with ropes and they were stretched out until all their joints were dislocated. Additionally executioners used the strappado, in which they would lift up the victim whose hands and feet were bound to each other. When they were about 6 feet above the floor, their hands and feet would be attached with weights that weighed up to 45 kg. After lifted up, they would drop the victim, and before they would hit the ground the executioner would abruptly stop, dislocating some joints. This would repeat with more weights and more intense drops until the victim would confess. These are just some of the numerous torture devices that the inquisitors used against the heretics to make them confess. If the victims survived from all the torture, they would usually end up being burnt at the stake, publicly



[]

Spanish Inquisition and the Roman Inquisition
One of the most famous inquisitions occured in Spain. In 1478, Pop Sixtus IV authorized the Spanish Inquisition. At that time, Spain had been united under Ferdinand and Isabella. As new rulers of Spain, they tried to make Spain purely Catholic. To accomplish this, they began by driving out Jews, Protestants, and Muslims (or any non-Catholic believers). People who were thought to be a non-Catholic believer were put on trial. About 100,000 people were put on trial, but only 2,000 people were found guilty and tortured. The inquisition ended on July 15, 1834 with a decree. Another inquisition that took place was the Roman inquisition. In 1542, Pope Paul III established the Roman inquisition due to a growing number of Protestants in Italy. During this time, the pope also declared several writings or works to be against the church, and these works were compiled into the Index of Forbidden Books. []

Bibliography Al Van Helden. "The Inquisition." //The Galileo Project//. N.p., 1995. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. .

"Medieval Inquisition." Virtual Medieval Church and Its Writings. University of Saint Thomas–Saint Paul, MN, 2003. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. .

"The Horrors of the Church and its Holy Inquisition." The Christian Enterprise. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. .