Inquisition, << `ihn` kwuh ZIHSH uhn, >> was an effort by the Roman Catholic Church to seek out and punish heretics—that is, people who held beliefs that differed from the accepted beliefs of the church. The Inquisition took place in many parts of Europe, but the Spanish Inquisition is best known.
In A.D. 392, Roman Emperor Theodosius I outlawed all non-Christian and non-Jewish worship. From then on, the teachings of the Christian church were regarded as the foundation of law and order. Heresy (holding unaccepted religious beliefs) was thus a crime against the state as well as the church.
During the 1100’s and 1200’s, certain groups of Roman Catholics revolted against their church. After some civil (nonreligious and nonmilitary) rulers refused or became unable to punish these heretics, the church took over the role. In 1231, Pope Gregory IX created a special court to investigate suspects and reform heretics. In 1542, the Congregation of the Holy Office took control of the Inquisition. Inquisition judges usually were Dominican and Franciscan friars.
The Inquisition operated chiefly in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Working in secret, the inquisitors (investigators) often misused their power. Some suspects were tortured, and heretics who refused to change their beliefs were sentenced to die by burning. In the 1500’s, Catholic leaders turned the Inquisition against the Protestants.
Catholics now condemn the Inquisition for violating modern standards of justice. But in the Middle Ages, few people criticized it.
