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How did the medieval Inquisition try people accused of heresy?
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inquisition
St. Dominic Presiding at an Auto-da-Fé, panel by Pedro Berruguete, c. 1503; in the Prado, Madrid.
The medieval Inquisition functioned as a formal process to identify and reconcile those accused of heresy. When an inquisitor arrived in a district, they typically announced a period of grace, encouraging individuals to confess their own involvement or that of others in exchange for light penances.1
The subsequent trial was characterized by the following procedures:
- Summons: Confessions were used to compile lists of suspects who were then summoned to a tribunal. Failure to appear was treated as evidence of guilt.1
- Secrecy and Lack of Defense: Proceedings were recorded by a notary and witnessed by sworn officials. Suspects were generally not informed of the specific charges against them or the identities of their accusers. Furthermore, legal counsel was effectively unavailable, as lawyers feared being accused of abetting heresy.1
- Sentencing: After consulting with canon lawyers, the inquisitor announced sentences during a public homily known as a sermo generalis. Punishments for those who recanted included penitential pilgrimages, the wearing of yellow crosses, or imprisonment.1
- Execution: If a heretic refused to recant, they were handed over to secular authorities to be burned at the stake.12