1. Over centuries, there were several Church Inquisitions
throughout Europe
BUT
When modern people criticize the Catholic Church
They generally mean the Spanish Inquisition.

2. The Spanish Inquisition
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

3. The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. These are the monarchs who sponsored Christopher Columbus- whose daughter, Catherine, marries Henry VIII of England.
It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms.
The Inquisition was to ensure that those who converted from Judaism and Islam were true believers. This regulation of the faith of the newly converted was intensified after the royal decrees issued in 1492 and 1501 ordering Jews and Muslims to convert or leave.

4. Various motives have been studied for the monarchs' decision to found an Inquisition apart from the Pope.
Don't think too hard about a motive. They were certainly (at least) looking for Muslims. They had just ended a 780 year war against them to keep Spain, Spanish. And, it was better for the accused that an official “task force” look for them than nationalist vigilantes. They were also seeking a way to unite the separate kingdoms in Spain to be 'Spain'.

5. The Inquisition Tribunal Members
Varied in number- at least 5 or 6 men
2 Inquisitors (the leaders)
priests who had university education
Secretary
Jailer
Torturer
Commissioner- often a commoner

6. Witchcraft- remember the Salem Witches?
The Possible Crimes
Heresy from a Catholic
This means a Protestant is a heretic.
False Jewish Convert
False Muslim Convert
Witchcraft- remember the Salem Witches?
Sexual Sin- remember the Scarlet Letter?

7. Process
> Preaching called the The Period of Grace- you could repent and be taken out of the Inquisition process. > Accusation
> Detention
> Inquisition- this is the part that may have included torture, of the defendant and the accuser. This happened in 2% of cases.
> Sentencing
> Auto-da-fe- public ceremony giving verdicts

8. A word about Torture…
The use of torture was a common practice in CIVIL law enforcement in Europe in the 1500’s. The Spanish Church did not invent it.
The Church limited it to 15 minutes and stated that it could not maim/injure you physically in a permanent way. Torture could only be used once. These guidelines were considered an ADVANCE on how the usual civil law enforcement use of torture was conducted. Could there have been abuses? Yes. Were they the norm? No.

9. Budget
Tribunals paid themselves from the confiscated goods of the guilty.
Taxing the People would have been a better choice. Why?

10. The Possible Sentences
The defendant could be acquitted.
The trial could be suspended, in which case the defendant, although under suspicion, went free.
The defendant could be reconciled to the Catholic Church.
The defendant could be penanced. He had to publicly abjure his crimes and accept a public punishment. Most were Church penances like fasting, attending Mass, making pilgrimages.
Among harsher penances were exile, fines or sentencing to service as oarsmen in royal galleys.
The condemned could receive a severe punishment. It's estimated this was 10% of the guilty. These were long sentences to jail or the galleys, confiscation of all property, whipping.

11. The most serious punishment was Relaxation
The most serious punishment was Relaxation. It's estimated this was 1% of the guilty.
This meant you were turned over to the government for burning at the stake. Execution was public.
If the condemned repented, they were shown mercy by being garroted before burning. If not, they were burned alive.

12. Pope Sixtus IV demanded
that control of the Spanish Inquisition be given to the Church
that the condemned be able to appeal to Rome
that the accused get to have lawyers and know who accused them.
that the accused's enemies be disqualified as witnesses

13. He was denied on all but one count- While the accused did not get to know who accused them, they were asked for a list of their known enemies.

14. How does this relate to our modern world?