Britannica
Sources used in this answer
What penalties could the medieval Inquisition impose on people who recanted their beliefs?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
inquisition
St. Dominic Presiding at an Auto-da-Fé, panel by Pedro Berruguete, c. 1503; in the Prado, Madrid.
For those convicted of heresy who chose to recant their beliefs, the medieval Inquisition imposed judicial penances intended to reconcile them with the church. These penalties included:1
- Penitential pilgrimages: Required journeys to holy sites as an act of atonement.1
- Wearing of yellow crosses: A public mark of shame sewn onto clothing, which often resulted in social ostracism.1
- Imprisonment: Inquisitors utilized two types of facilities, both managed by laymen. The murus largus was an open prison allowing inmates some freedom, while the murus strictus was a high-security facility involving solitary confinement, often with the use of chains.1
The primary objective of the Inquisition was the reconciliation of heretics rather than their execution. Consequently, those who recanted were generally spared the death penalty, which was reserved for those who admitted their errors but refused to recant or for those who remained obdurate.1