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Pope Paul Iii: Roman Inquisition
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Founded in 1542 by Pope Paul III with the Constitution "Licet ab initio," the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was originally called the Sacred Congregation of the Universal Inquisition as its duty was to defend the Church from heresy. It is the oldest of the Curia's nine congregations.
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October 12, 1534: Paul III was elected pope. Paul would play an important role in the Protestant Reformation, excommunicating King Henry VIII of England, giving official approval to the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), initiating the Inquisition against Protestants, and more.
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The bill issued by Pope Paul III triggered the inquisition of the Protestants. The Spanish inquisition started after a bill was issued by Pope Lucius III, and did not end until the beginning of the 19th century. The Vatican estimated that the witchcraft bill cost 300,000 lives. Most of the victims were women. Around three million people were interviewed by the inquisitors and one in five were burned.
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