The Inquisition is an emotive subject across both sides of the divide owing to the brutalities associated with it, evoking strong variant feelings depending different parties’ points of view. Non-Catholics view it as the epitome of scandalous. To Catholics on the other hand, the Inquisition is a source of strong feelings of embarrassment coupled with uncertainty in various instances. Undisputable for both parties, however, it that the Inquisition is a subject upon which confusion is hinged. The year 1184 in southern France marked the advent of the advent of inquisitions, setting the stage for other different inquisitions in years that followed. The inquisitions in France, referred to as the Medieval Inquisition, emerged to combat Catharism. The Spanish Inquisition begun in 1478 is the most infamous of the inquisitions for the widespread cases of brutality and arguably the greatest number of casualties. Most benign of the inquisitions was the Roman Inquisition from 1542 and beyond. Collectively, through time, these inquisitions are referred to as the Inquisition.
It would be imprudent for Catholics to blatantly deny the damaging effects ascribed to the Inquisition. It is therefore, their duty to comprehend the Inquisition’s history to gain an insight into how an institution marred by tales of horror and brutality came to be associated with the Church and gain the appreciation that the Catholic Church, contrary to the claims of fundamentalists and anti-Catholics, is indeed the Church of Christ, its atrocities notwithstanding. The justifications of those who headed the Inquisition and those involved were rooted in the Bible. In Deuteronomy 17: 2-5, there exists the record of God’s command for the execution of formal and legal inquiries to lay bare clandestine believers who still practiced false religions. According to the quoted scripture, “If there is found among you…anyone who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God…and has gone and served other gods and worshipped them…then you shall inquire diligently and if it is true…you shall bring forth to your gates the man or woman…and you shall stone them to death with stones.” Based on this scripture it understandable that the Catholics who engaged in the Inquisition meant to uphold and protect the Christian society from heresy, just as the Israelites had.
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Fundamentalists and anti-Catholics in their writings, while getting some facts right and for which credit must be accorded to them, still failed to objectively and precisely consider all facts and treat them equally. Their objectivity in examining all facts was clouded by the vicious animosity they harbored within themselves against the Church. A closer evaluation of this animosity reveals a discord in itself and the Inquisition. Equally guilty for the misrepresentation of facts and the concealment of truth are the few Catholic writers, considered apologists, who though well-intentioned, attempted to conceal and whitewash unpleasant truths regarding the Inquisition, therefore dealing a great disservice to the truth.
The facts about the Inquisition, in truth, do not erode the legitimacy of the Catholic Church nor prove its illegitimacy, and consequently, the truth leaves the Church in a position in which it has nothing to fear based on the truth. All mentions of brutality, foolhardy, cruelty and misguided piety in the Church’s history can not undermine the divine foundations of the Church. In retrospect, however, it is true that these misdeeds, for the Catholic Church, are stumbling blocks. Contrary to the misguided notions held by fundamentalists and anti-Catholics that the Church is comprised only of the righteous, the Church in fact is comprised of sinners and dishonest people, some of whom ascended to positions of power and authority. The actions of such men should not taint the whole image of the divine Church, from which in contrast, a lot of good has emerged.
While the kinds and degrees of punishments meted out in the Inquisition, particularly in the Spanish Inquisition, are lamentable, the persistence of certain forms of heresy may have been catastrophic to mankind’s existence. Catharism especially comes to mind as a perfect example of heresy whose influence could have been disastrous if allowed to spread. Various Cathartic doctrines rooted in this religion’s gnostic and Manichaean origins were detrimental to the good of society. Catharism, for instance, viewed all matter as evil and held the belief in dual gods – the good God of the New Testament and the evil God of the Old Testament.
Further, according to Catharism marriage was scorned upon while fornication was held in esteem. The rationale for the rejection of marriage as an institution in this heretic religion was that marriage legitimized sexual relations. It was Catharism’s belief that sexual relations were the Original sin. Fornication, on the other hand, was temporary and secret therefore gaining widespread acceptance among the religion’s adherents. In a disregard for the sanctity of life, Catharism also supported ritualistic suicide. Additionally, Catharists disregarded all forms of government authority therefore posing a moral and political menace. It was therefore necessary to rid the world through the Inquisition of such a detrimental religion whose beliefs threatened to erode the moral fabric and destroy civilization.
Rather than get defensive when confronted with the issue of the Inquisition, Catholics ought to adopt the constructive attitude which entails seeking objective knowledge of the events and the timelines of the Inquisition. With this knowledge, they would be in a better position to offer explanations to anti-Catholics and supply counter-arguments based in truth and objectivity. It should also be noted that the existence of inquisitions is not a basis upon which to judge a movement as not of God, considering that Protestant Reformers also conducted inquisitions to cast out Catholics. That said, the Inquisition is the wrong grounds upon which to determine the truth of any system of beliefs, Catholic or otherwise.
