What did the Spanish Inquisition do?
The Spanish Inquisition was a judicial institution that lasted between 1478 and 1834. Its ostensible purpose was to combat heresy in Spain, but, in practice, it resulted in consolidating power in the monarchy of the newly unified Spanish kingdom.
What was the Spanish Inquisition and why was it formed?
In 1478, the Catholic Monarchs began the famous Inquisition to purify Catholicism in all their territories. The Inquisition was established to act as a tribunal to identify heretics and bring them to justice.
Did the Jesuits lead the Inquisition?
(Luckily for the reputation of the Jesuits, they were not directly involved with the Inquisition, another potent weapon in the Catholic counter-attack—that institution was staffed by Dominicans.)
Was the Spanish Inquisition that bad?
For centuries people were burned at the stake, stretched to death or otherwise tortured for failing to be Roman Catholic. But, if research released by the Vatican is right, the Inquisition was not as bad as one might think.
How did the Jesuits try to combat the Reformation?
The Jesuits helped carry out two major objectives of the Counter-Reformation: Catholic education and missionary work. The Jesuits established numerous schools and universities throughout Europe, helping to maintain the relevance of the Catholic church in increasingly secular and Protestant societies.
Why was the Spanish Inquisition so important?
The Inquisition was a powerful office set up within the Catholic Church to root out and punish heresy throughout Europe and the Americas. Beginning in the 12th century and continuing for hundreds of years, the Inquisition is infamous for the severity of its tortures and its persecution of Jews and Muslims.
What ended the Inquisition?
The Inquisition was definitively abolished July 15, 1834, by a Royal Decree signed by regent Maria Cristina de Borbon, during the minority of Isabel II and with the approval of the President of the Cabinet Francisco Martínez de la Rosa.
Do Jesuits still exist?
The Society of Jesus is another such religious order. Set up by Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish former soldier, in 1540, there are now over 12,000 Jesuit priests, and the society is one of the largest groups in the Roman Catholic church.