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Spanish Inquisition: Pope Sixtus Iv
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Beginning in 1478 with the Bull issued by Pope Sixtus IV, which empowered Spanish sovereigns to exterminate heresy in their realms, the Inquisition pursued its ruthless course for three and a half centuries. Listening to the irrational and relentless atrocities documented by Dr. Cecil Roth of Oxford is made bearable only by the clear, pleasing British accent of Nadia May. The text is further enhanced by her excellent pronunciation of names and places as the intensity and scope of the operation increase and spread from Spain to France, Italy and the New World. E.P.M. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
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In 1478 when, at the request of the Spanish sovereigns Ferdinand and Isabella, Pope Sixtus IV (1471-84) issued a papal bull allowing for the creation of the Spanish Inquisition. It lasted until it was "abolished" in 1834, although its most fervent activity was during the 15th and 16th centuries. The Spanish Inquisition is the notorious for three reasons. First, it was more cruel precisely because it was administered by the secular government. Second, it was concerned, in large part, with the conversos. These were Jews who had converted either under duress or out of social convenience, and were suspected of secretly practicing the Jewish faith.
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The Spanish Inquisition was set up by King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile in 1478 with the approval of Pope Sixtus IV. In contrast to the previous inquisitions, it operated completely under royal authority, though staffed by secular clergy and orders, and independently of the Holy See. It aimed primarily at converts from Judaism and Islam (who were still residing in Spain after the end of the Moorish control of Spain), who were suspected of either continuing to adhere to their old religion (often after having been converted under duress) or having fallen back into it, and later at Protestants; in Sicily and Southern Italy, which were under Spanish rule, it targeted Greek Orthodox Christians. After religious disputes waned in the 17th century, the Spanish Inquisition more and more developed into a secret police against internal threats to the state.
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As horrible as the Papal Inquisition was (in both of its manifestations), in modern times, the Spanish Inquisition has became almost synonymous with the excesses, violence, and cruelty of the Inquisition. In 1478 Pope Sixtus IV issued a bull authorizing King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to appoint an inquisitorial board (which occurred in 1480). The express purpose of the Spanish Inquisition was to root out false Christians in Spain – especially Jews and Moslems who claimed to convert to Christianity, but were still secretly practicing their faith.
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The Spanish Inquisition was founded by King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain, and authorized by Pope Sixtus IV in 1478 to examine the genuineness of recent converts from Judaism to Christianity. The majority of its activities were dedicated to the suppression of the Jews, and it was primarily a political tribunal.
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Nor can it truthfully be claimed that the Spanish Inquisition acted independently of the Catholic Church. Ferdinand and Isabella commissioned the Inquisition, but they had the blessing of the Pope. For on November 1, 1478, Pope Sixtus IV issued the Bull Exigit sincere devotionis. This authorized the Catholic kings to appoint inquisitors in Castile in order to expunge heresy. Specifically, it pointed out that Jews who had been baptized had secretly reverted to the Jewish "superstition." For mere trifles like murdering people, Catholics could confess and be absolved, no matter how many times they "reverted."
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