Early Modern European history Inquisition

1 modern european history

1.1 witch-trials
1.2 spanish inquisition
1.3 inquisition in spanish overseas empire
1.4 portuguese inquisition
1.5 roman inquisition

early modern european history

with sharpening of debate , of conflict between protestant reformation , catholic counter-reformation, protestant societies came see/use inquisition terrifying other , while staunch catholics regarded holy office necessary bulwark against spread of reprehensible heresies.

witch-trials


emblem of spanish inquisition (1571)

while belief in witchcraft, , persecutions directed @ or excused it, widespread in pre-christian europe, , reflected in germanic law, influence of church in medieval era resulted in revocation of these laws in many places, bringing end traditional pagan witch hunts. throughout medieval era mainstream christian teaching had denied existence of witches , witchcraft, condemning pagan superstition. however, christian influence on popular beliefs in witches , maleficium (harm committed magic) failed entirely eradicate folk belief in witches.

the fierce denunciation , persecution of supposed sorceresses characterized cruel witchhunts of later age not found in first thirteen hundred years of christian era. medieval church distinguished between white , black magic. local folk practice mixed chants, incantations, , prayers appropriate patron saint ward off storms, protect cattle, or ensure harvest. bonfires on midsummer’s eve intended deflect natural catastrophes or influence of fairies, ghosts, , witches. plants, harvested under particular conditions, deemed effective in healing.

black magic used malevolent purpose. dealt through confession, repentance, , charitable work assigned penance. irish canons treated sorcery crime visited excommunication until adequate penance had been performed. in 1258 pope alexander iv ruled inquisitors should limit involvement cases in there clear presumption of heretical belief.

the prosecution of witchcraft became more prominent throughout late medieval , renaissance era, perhaps driven partly upheavals of era – black death, hundred years war, , gradual cooling of climate modern scientists call little ice age (between 15th , 19th centuries). witches blamed. since years of intense witch-hunting largely coincide age of reformation, historians point influence of reformation on european witch-hunt.

dominican priest heinrich kramer assistant archbishop of salzburg. in 1484 kramer requested pope innocent viii clarify authority prosecute witchcraft in germany, had been refused assistance local ecclesiastical authorities. maintained kramer not legally function in areas.

the bull summis desiderantes affectibus sought remedy jurisdictional dispute identifying dioceses of mainz, köln, trier, salzburg, , bremen. scholars view bull political . bull failed ensure kramer obtained support had hoped for, in fact subsequently expelled city of innsbruck local bishop, george golzer, ordered kramer stop making false accusations. golzer described kramer senile in letters written shortly after incident. rebuke led kramer write justification of views on witchcraft in book malleus maleficarum, written in 1486. in book, kramer stated view witchcraft blame bad weather. book noted animus against women. despite kramer s claim book gained acceptance clergy @ university of cologne, in fact condemned clergy @ cologne advocating views violated catholic doctrine , standard inquisitorial procedure. in 1538 spanish inquisition cautioned members not believe malleus said.

spanish inquisition


pedro berruguete, saint dominic guzmán presiding on auto da fe (c. 1495). many artistic representations depict torture , burning @ stake during auto-da-fé (portuguese act of faith ).

portugal , spain in late middle ages consisted largely of multicultural territories of muslim , jewish influence, reconquered islamic control, , new christian authorities not assume subjects become , remain orthodox roman catholics. inquisition in iberia, in lands of reconquista counties , kingdoms leon, castile , aragon, had special socio-political basis more fundamental religious motives.

in parts of spain towards end of 14th century, there wave of violent anti-judaism, encouraged preaching of ferrand martinez, archdeacon of ecija. in pogroms of june 1391 in seville, hundreds of jews killed, , synagogue destroyed. number of people killed high in other cities, such córdoba, valencia , barcelona.

one of consequences of these pogroms mass conversion of thousands of surviving jews. forced baptism contrary law of catholic church, , theoretically had been forcibly baptized legally return judaism. however, narrowly interpreted. legal definitions of time theoretically acknowledged forced baptism not valid sacrament, confined cases literally administered physical force. person had consented baptism under threat of death or serious injury still regarded voluntary convert, , accordingly forbidden revert judaism. after public violence, many of converted felt safer remain in new religion. thus, after 1391, new social group appeared , referred conversos or new christians.

king ferdinand ii of aragon , queen isabella of castile established spanish inquisition in 1478. in contrast previous inquisitions, operated under royal christian authority, though staffed clergy , orders, , independently of holy see. operated in spain , in spanish colonies , territories, included canary islands, spanish netherlands, kingdom of naples, , spanish possessions in north, central, , south america. targeted forced converts islam (moriscos, conversos , secret moors) , judaism (conversos, crypto-jews , marranos) — both groups still resided in spain after end of islamic control of spain — came under suspicion of either continuing adhere old religion or of having fallen it.

in 1492 jews had not converted expelled spain; converted became subject inquisition. (jews not heretics, catholics practised jewish faith regarded heretics.)

inquisition in spanish overseas empire

in americas, king philip ii set 3 tribunals (each formally titled tribunal del santo oficio de la inquisición) in 1569, 1 in mexico, cartagena de indias (in modern-day colombia) , peru. mexican office administered mexico (central , southeastern mexico), nueva galicia (northern , western mexico), audiencias of guatemala (guatemala, chiapas, el salvador, honduras, nicaragua, costa rica), , spanish east indies. peruvian inquisition, based in lima, administered spanish territories in south america , panama.

portuguese inquisition


a copper engraving 1685: die inquisition in portugall

the portuguese inquisition formally started in portugal in 1536 @ request of king joão iii. manuel had asked pope leo x installation of inquisition in 1515, after death in 1521 did pope paul iii acquiesce. @ head stood grande inquisidor, or general inquisitor, named pope selected crown, , within royal family. portuguese inquisition principally targeted sephardic jews, whom state forced convert christianity. spain had expelled sephardic population in 1492; many of these spanish jews left spain portugal targeted there well.

the portuguese inquisition held first auto-da-fé in 1540. portuguese inquisitors targeted jewish new christians (i.e. conversos or marranos). portuguese inquisition expanded scope of operations portugal colonial possessions, including brazil, cape verde, , goa. in colonies, continued religious court, investigating , trying cases of breaches of tenets of orthodox roman catholicism until 1821. king joão iii (reigned 1521–57) extended activity of courts cover censorship, divination, witchcraft, , bigamy. oriented religious action, inquisition exerted influence on every aspect of portuguese society: political, cultural, , social.

the goa inquisition, inquisition largely aimed @ catholic converts hinduism or islam thought have returned original ways, started in 1560. in addition, inquisition prosecuted non-converts broke prohibitions against observance of hindu or muslim rites or interfered portuguese attempts convert non-christians catholicism. aleixo dias falcão , francisco marques set in palace of sabaio adil khan.

according henry charles lea, between 1540 , 1794, tribunals in lisbon, porto, coimbra, , Évora resulted in burning of 1,175 persons, burning of 633 in effigy, , penancing of 29,590. documentation of 15 out of 689 autos-da-fé has disappeared, these numbers may understate activity.

roman inquisition

with protestant reformation, catholic authorities became more ready suspect heresy in new ideas, including of renaissance humanism, supported many @ top of church hierarchy. extirpation of heretics became broader , more complex enterprise, complicated politics of territorial protestant powers, in northern europe. catholic church no longer exercise direct influence in politics , justice-systems of lands officially adopted protestantism. war (the french wars of religion, thirty years war), massacre (the st. bartholomew s day massacre) , missional , propaganda work (by sacra congregatio de propaganda fide) of counter-reformation came play larger roles in these circumstances, , roman law type of judicial approach heresy represented inquisition became less important overall. in 1542 pope paul iii established congregation of holy office of inquisition permanent congregation staffed cardinals , other officials. had tasks of maintaining , defending integrity of faith , of examining , proscribing errors , false doctrines; became supervisory body of local inquisitions. arguably famous case tried roman inquisition of galileo galilei in 1633.

the penances , sentences confessed or found guilty pronounced in public ceremony @ end of processes. sermo generalis or auto-da-fé.

penances (not matters civil authorities) might consist of pilgrimage, public scourging, fine, or wearing of cross. wearing of 2 tongues of red or other brightly colored cloth, sewn onto outer garment in x pattern, marked under investigation. penalties in serious cases confiscation of property inquisition or imprisonment. led possibility of false charges enable confiscation being made against on income, particularly rich marranos. following french invasion of 1798, new authorities sent 3,000 chests containing on 100,000 inquisition documents france rome.