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

What is Inquisition:

The Inquisition, also known as the Holy Inquisition, was an institution dedicated to the investigation, condemnation, and punishment of heresy, which was linked to the Catholic Church.

Its period of operation extended from the Middle Ages, when in 1184 the first inquisitorial body was inaugurated in France, until the 19th century, when it was abolished. However, it would not be until 1231 that it would begin to be directed directly by the pope.

As such, the Inquisition was a legal tribunal of the Catholic Church, administered in cooperation with the civil authority, whose objective was to preserve the State against enemies of the faith.

It must be emphasized that in medieval times there was no separation between Church and State, so there was no clear limit between the authorities. In addition, the people were forced to follow the religion of the king, and everything that constituted a threat in the religious sphere was considered heresy.

A heresy, in this case, was to contravene the postulates of Catholic doctrine and, therefore, the king's faith. Heresy acts could be the practice of witchcraft, the worship of idols, the worship of false gods from the point of view of Catholicism, among other things.

See also:

• HeresyWitchcraft

The Inquisition punished anyone who opposed the Christian religion, who did not accept the Catholic faith, who refused to convert, who did not want to give up their belief in favor of Catholicism. And so, he sent the Jews to the bonfires, and the same fate was suffered by the women who were taken by witches, or the books considered a threat to the faith. In addition, he practiced torture and launched deadly crusades against communities considered unfaithful.

In this sense, that of the Inquisition is considered one of the darkest episodes of the Catholic Church, despite the fact that Christians experienced similar situations in countries with a Protestant majority.

Etymologically, the word inquisition comes from the Latin inquisitĭo , inquisitiōnis , and, as such, means 'action and effect of inquiring'. To inquire, in this sense, means to inquire, find out or examine something carefully.

On the other hand, there is also the expression "making an inquisition", which means examining papers and documents to discard and burning the useless, in clear allusion to the burning of books contrary to the Catholic faith that was carried out during the Inquisition.

Inquisition according to the Bible

In the Bible, where the dogmas of the Catholic religion are collected, it is pointed out that God ordered the Hebrew people to carry out investigations on anyone who committed acts of heresy, such as worshiping idols or "false gods", in order to judge and condemn them. There are even some guidelines that, according to the doctrine, should be followed in the inquisitorial process.

Deuteronomy points out: “If, in your midst, in any of the cities that Yahweh will give you, a man or a woman does what Yahweh displeases, until he breaks his covenant; if he is going to serve other gods and prostrate himself before them… As soon as they denounce it or as soon as you know it, you will begin to investigate everything. If you prove that this abomination has been committed in Israel, you will bring out the man or the woman who committed this wrongdoing at the gates of the city, and stone them until they die… You will demand the statements of two or three witnesses to condemn them to death. No one will be condemned to death by the accusation of a single witness… Thus you will make evil disappear from among you "(XVII: 2-7).

Inquisition in Spain

The Spanish Inquisition was called the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, which functioned between 1478 and 1834. It was created by the Catholic kings with the objective of protecting and preserving the Catholic faith in their domains. As such, it was always under the control of the Spanish monarchy. Its scope of action extended over the entire Spanish territory and the overseas colonies in America, such as New Spain, present-day Mexico, or the Philippines, in Asia.