Inquisition and Index

Inquisition and Index

1. Inquisition was ecclesiastical court set up to investigate & prosecute heretics. Established in Germany, Italy and Spain

2. Spanish Inquisition: by 1520s it was targeting Erasmus and Lutherans. In 1559-62 very active putting some 77 Protestants to death

   • After, more concerned with lapsed converts, and with investigating acts of immorality by Spanish Christians

3. Roman Inquisition: aim was to set up network of tribunals throughout Catholic Europe. Most countries acted independently of the Roman court

   • Spain and Portugal had their own organisations
   • France and Germany were unwilling to defer to the papacy when dealing with heresy
   • Much of the time was spent investigating cases of immorality and witchcraft, and a few executions occurred

4. Censorship formed important part of Inquisition's work

5. University faculties of theology and city councils produced their own lists of prohibited reading

6. Spanish Index: Charles V granted it the right to censor books in 1545, and further revisions occurred in 1551

7. Roman Index: Begun by Paul IV in 1559. Banned over 500 authors including Erasmus, Machiavelli and 50 vernacular Bibles

8. Tridentine Index (1564) complied a more select list

   • Released after last session of Council of Trent by Congregation of the Index
   • Would be model for every Index to be released from this time.
   • Spelled the end of the 'free pass' in all of Italy including liberal states such as Venice for some time.

9. Overall: Inquisition was successful in Italy but Europe not really affected as they had their own systems; too few to really be effective

10. Revisionist view: some credit due as it improved literacy rates - seen as having educational role - and moral standards heightened

    • Traditional view: more of a secret police to keep order and kill Protestats

11. Overall: Index not effective as it was impossible to police as there was an extensive book trade in Protestant books at the time