A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 3Lea, Henry Charles
History
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 3
Lea, Henry Charles
Inquisition -- Spain
In a record of the Toledo tribunal, from 1484 to 1531, there are
eighty-six cases of acquittal, or an average of somewhat less than two
per annum which, in view of the intense activity of the earlier period,
indicates how few escaped when once the Inquisition had laid its hand
upon them. Some of these cases show how long the conditional acquittal
persisted. Thus of those acquitted, Hernando Parral was required to
abjure, and Francisca Ramírez and Catalina beata negra abjured _de
vehementi_. Unless there is a mistake by the scribe, Leonora de la Oliva
of Ciudad Real was acquitted and scourged, October 3, 1521, and again
had the same sentence October 13, 1530. In 1520 Alonso Hernández was
acquitted with public penance and, in 1513, Sancho de Ribera was
acquitted with confiscation. One entry is difficult of
comprehension--that of Inez González, who was voted to acquittal with
reconciliation and confiscation, but the confiscation was remitted.[284]
Practically acquittal amounted only to a sentence of not proven. In the
formula for it, Pablo García calls special attention to the omission of
the word "definitive," pointing out that it is not final, for the case
could be reopened at any time that fresh evidence was obtained--and even
without it, as we have seen in the case of Villanueva. In matters of
faith there was no finality, no _cosa juzgada_, and it was so declared
by Pius V, in the bull _Inter multiplices_, invalidating all letters of
absolution and acquittal issued by inquisitors and other spiritual
judges.[285] In strict accordance with this principle was the rule that
sentences of acquittal of the living were not to be read at the autos de
fe, unless at their especial request, while acquittals of the dead were
read; in either case, the sentence simply stated that he had been
accused of heresy and no details were given; if living he did not appear
at the auto and if dead there was no effigy.[286] All this was in
direct contradiction to the glowing eulogy of Páramo who, as we have
seen, states that the inquisitors used every means to prove the
innocence of the accused and, when they succeeded, took care that he
should go forth like a conqueror crowned with laurel and the palm of
victory.[287] Yet Páramo had some justification in the fact that there
were rare exceptional cases in which the acquitted was thus honored. The
only instance of this that I have met in Spain was that referred to
above (Vol. II, p. 561), where fourteen residents of Cádiz were falsely
accused. In Peru, however, several cases are recorded. In the Lima auto
of 1728 Doctor Agustin Valenciano appeared in the procession on a white
horse, with a palm, and proclamation was made of his innocence. In the
great auto of January 23, 1639, there were seven thus honored after
their three years of incarceration, and in that of October 19, 1749, the
effigy of Don Juan de Loyola, who had died in prison in 1745, headed the
procession, bearing a palm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account