Meaning of heretic (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Heretic:

Heretic is the way in which the person who professes a heresy is designated, that is, who questions, with a controversial or novel concept, certain beliefs established in a certain religion.

For example, a lay individual, who assumes his belief in God, but who does not circumscribe this to the profession of any religious doctrine or practice of religious duties, may be considered a heretic.

Similarly, an atheist can be classified as a heretic because he questions the existence of God and, consequently, the truth of the teachings taught by religion.

As a heretic or blasphemer, a person who has insulted or irreverence God and religion can also be qualified.

The concept of heresy, moreover, is relative. While for a Catholic a heretic is any person who does not follow the dogmas of the Christian religion, likewise a Catholic may be considered a heretic by Islamism.

Therefore, the concept of heresy will vary according to the teachings and characteristics of each religion, but above all depending on the degree of tolerance or intolerance that each religion imposes on its followers towards other existing beliefs.

In fact, the etymology of the word heretic is very eloquent regarding its meaning. The word comes from the Latin haeretĭcus , which in turn comes from the Greek αἱρετικός (hairetikós), which means 'free to choose'.

Thus, in general terms, a heretic is a person who assumes the possibility of freely choosing to follow a different dogma from that imposed by a doctrine, religion or sect.

See also

• Heresy, blasphemy.

Heretic in Christianity

In the New Testament of the Bible, it is referred to that a heretic is considered a man who decides to follow his own opinions, creating with them new religious doctrines, or following new sects, such as the Sadducees and the Pharisees.

For its part, the bull Gratia Divina (1656), by Pope Alexander VII, defined heresy as "the belief, teaching or defense of opinions, dogmas, proposals or ideas contrary to the teachings of the Holy Bible, the Holy Gospels, Tradition and the magisterium ”.

The Catholic Church, during the Middle Ages, insisted on pursuing all that opinion that contradicted the Christian doctrine contained in the Bible, of which it was assumed as the only possible interpreter and authority. For this, the Court of the Holy Office of the Inquisition was created.

Heretics and the Inquisition

During the Middle Ages, the Church instituted an aggressive policy of persecution against all those who questioned the interpretation of Christian doctrine that it dogmatically imposed.

It was Pope Gregory IX who, in the 13th century, when he began to feel that the power of the Church was being threatened by those who criticized it, established the Court of the Holy Office of the Inquisition.

The purpose of this religious court was to combat the heresy that arose against the legitimacy of both ecclesiastical and civil power, since at that time the power of the Church was closely linked to the power of the State, represented in the monarchy.

Those suspected of heresy were interrogated and tortured to confess the guilt brought against them. The punishments were severe, and many alleged heretics spent their lives in captivity or were tortured, hanged, or burned alive.

Some notable figures in the history of humanity, who contributed with their exploits, thought or investigations to the progress of knowledge, and who were assassinated by the Inquisition, were: Giordano Bruno (philosopher, astronomer), Joan of Arc (war heroine) Giulio Cesare Vanini (intellectual), Jan Hus (philosopher) or Miguel Servet (scientist).

See more about the Inquisition.