A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 4Lea, Henry Charles
History
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 4
Lea, Henry Charles
Inquisition -- Spain
How these general rules were reduced to practice, at this period, may be
gathered from a few examples in Toledo, all of whom had of course the
regular abjuration de levi and reprimand. In 1578 the Carmelite, Fray
Agustin de Cervera, against whom there were ten witnesses, was
sentenced to perpetual deprivation of confession, reclusion for a year
in a convent of his Order, where he was to receive a discipline, and
Friday fasting on bread and water. The Dominican Fray Domingo de
Revisto, against whom there were forty-nine witnesses, besides others
who came after the conclusion of the case, was perpetually deprived of
confessing and recluded in a desert convent for ten years, during which,
for a year, he was deprived of active and passive voice, of preaching
and of saying mass. In 1581, Pedro de Villalobos, acting cura of Halía,
had many witnesses as to his acts in the confessional and an infinite
number as to his general licentiousness, for he kept a concubine, had
debauched two sisters and their aunt, and committed much else of the
same kind. These latter sins were outside of inquisitorial jurisdiction;
for the solicitation he was exiled from Halía for three years, of which
the first was to be passed in a monastery with suspension from
celebrating, he was perpetually suspended from confessing, and was fined
in fifteen thousand maravedís. Fray Juan Romero was accused by five
women; he admitted using words of endearment, but innocently, as he
claimed to be impotent. Either the claim or the fact seems to have been
regarded as an aggravation, for he was deprived of confessing and was
recluded for ten years, without active and passive voice, to be last in
choir and refectory, with a monthly discipline during the first year, a
discipline in the audience-chamber and one in the convent of San Pablo
while his sentence was read.[274]
These examples will suffice to show the spirit in which aggravated cases
were treated. Those of less gravity had concessions in the variable
factors, but the deprivation of confessing was perpetual. About 1600,
Miguel Calvo summarizes the practice, with a distinct inclination
towards greater severity, and adds that, when the culprit has solicited
men, the penalties are to be increased.[275] On the other hand, in 1611,
a Cunha pleads for moderation, and warns the inquisitor not to drive the
culprit to despair, while de Sousa endeavors to argue away the stern
penalties prescribed by Gregory XV, and repeats the warning as to
despair.[276]
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