Inquisition :: essays research papers

The procedure, on the other hand, was substantially the same as that al s basey described. Here, too, a "term of grace" of xxx to forty days was invariably granted, and was often prolonged. Imprisonment resulted plainly when concord had been arrived at, or the offence had been proved. Examination of the accused could take place only when in the presence of two disinterested priests, whose obligation it was to restrain all arbitrary act in their presence the protocol had to be read out twice to the accused. The defence lay always in the hold of a lawyer. The witnesses although unknown to the accused, were sworn, and very severe punishment, up to now death, awaited stupid witnesses, (cf. Brief of Leo X of 14 December, 1518). Torture was applied only too frequently and to cruelly, but certainly not more cruelly than under Charles Vs system of judicial torture in Germany. (4) Historical digest The Spanish hunting deserves neither the amplify praise nor the equally ex aggerated vilification often bestowed on it. The number of victims cannot be calculated with even approximate accuracy the much maligned autos-da-f were in reality but a religious ceremony (actus fidei) the San Benito has its counterpart in similar garbs elsewhere the rigorousness of St. Peter Arbues, to whom not a single sentence of death can be traced with certainty, belongs to the realms of fable. However, the predominant ecclesiastical nature of the institution can barely be doubted. The Holy See sanctioned the institution, accorded to the grand interrogator canonic installation and therewith judicial authority concerning matters of faith, while from the grand inquisitor jurisdiction passed down to the subsidiary tribunals under his control. Joseph de Maistre introduced the thesis that the Spanish Inquisition was mostly a civil tribunal formerly, however, theologians never questioned its ecclesiastical nature. precisely thus, indeed, can one explain how the Popes always admi tted appeals from it to the Holy See, called to themselves entire trials and that at any stage of the proceedings, exempted whole classes of believers from its jurisdiction, intervened in the legislation, deposed grand inquisitors, and so on. (See turkey cockS DE TORQUEMADA.) C. The Holy Office at RomeThe great defection of the sixteenth century, the filtration of heresy into Catholic lands, and the progress of heterodox teachings everywhere, prompted Paul three to establish the "Sacra Congregatio Romanae et universalis Inquisitionis seu sancti officii" by the Constitution "Licet ab initio" of 21 July, 1542.