The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 08: The Later Renaissance: from Gutenberg to the Reformation
History
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 08: The Later Renaissance: from Gutenberg to the Reformation
World history
"The chief author and instrument of this salutary grant was the Cardinal
of Spain (Mendoza), who had seen that, in consequence of the great
liberty of past years, and from the mingling of Moors and Jews with
Christians in all sorts of conversation and trade, many things went out
of order in the kingdom. With that liberty it was impossible that some of
the Christians should not be infected. Many more, leaving the religion
which they had voluntarily embraced as converts from Judaism, again
apostatized and returned to their old superstition--an evil which
prevailed more in Seville than in any other part. In that city,
therefore, secret searches were first made, and they severely punished
those whom they found guilty. If their delinquency was considerable after
having kept them long time imprisoned, and after having tormented them,
they burned them. If it was light, they punished the offenders, with the
perpetual dishonor of their family. Of not a few they confiscated the
goods, and condemned them to imprisonment for life. On most of them they
put a _sambenito_, which is a sort of scapulary of yellow color, with a
red St. Andrew's cross, that they might go marked among their neighbors,
and bear a signal that should affright and scare by the greatness of the
punishment and of the disgrace; a plan which experience has shown to
be very salutary, although, at first, it seemed very grievous to the
natives."
Cardinal Mendoza might have been an instrument of establishing the new
tribunal in Spain, but no author was wanted for that work. Pope Gregory
IX, fit successor of Innocent III, had completed in Spain, as in the
county of Toulouse and kingdom of France, the scheme which his uncle
Innocent began. By a bull, dated May 26, 1232, he appointed Dominican
friars inquisitors in Aragon, and forthwith proceeded to confer the same
benefit on the kingdoms of Navarre, Castile, and Portugal; Granada being
in possession of the Moors. Ten years later, in a council at Tarragona,
the chief technicalities of the Spanish Inquisition were settled. At the
invitation of Peter, Archbishop of Tarragona, Raymund of Peñaforte, the
Pope's penitentiary, presided. The definitions of the council are notable
for the determination they evidence to conduct the affairs of the
tribunal with entire legal precision and formality. The "vocabulary" was
now settled, and one has only to turn to the _Acts_ of the Council of
Tarragona to find the exact meaning of "heretic, believer, suspected,
simple, vehement, most vehement, favorer, concealer, receiver,
receptacle, defender, abettor, relapsed."
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