The Inquisition
Who would have thought that the use of torture and the
invention of such horrid devices originated from the Catholic Church?
In to
today’s day and age, with the doings of the church I’m sure that learning such
information isn’t so surprising.
However, to have imagined the acceptance of
such behavior in the 15th and 16th century is appalling. What need would there
be to partake in such a ghastly activity?
The Inquisition is the name given to the time period where endeavors of the
Catholic Church were taken in an attempt to eradicate heresies. The historical
foundation of the inquisition lies in medieval times, where the church and state
were viewed as one apparatus. To rebel against the church as well as the king in
matters of law, cannon, and hierarchal structure was ultimately questioning the
base of society, thus causing havoc and social disorder. To maintain such high
power and combat those that questioned authority, the church would hunt down and
prosecute heretics, while the state was left to punish them. This then is the
foundation that would lead to the use of torture devices and would eventually be
called the Inquisition. Though the inquisition can be divided into many
categories, its main components consist of the Papal Inquisition (the first
officially launched inquisition), and the Spanish Inquisition (where torture was
more wide used).
Procedures During the Inquisition