The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-26

pass cruel laws. Innocent ". repeat
eddy confirmed the laws of Frederick
| II. of Germany Furnishing heresies with
burning and the confiscation of goods.
Later Popes directed that the laws be
carried out, stating that Frederick
/ was under the obedience of the Church
| when he issued the laws.
| In 1888 Gregory TX. handed the Of
flee of the inquisition over to the Do
minican Order, but always to be exer-
cised in the name and by the authority
! of the Pope. mo bishop" says the
Jesuit Salelles, has named one inqufsi-
/ tor, only the Pope does that" So the
..headman' must be held responsible
| for all that was done.
The laws against heretics, so was the
principle, lay not in the authority, OF
secular princes, but I'm the sovereign
dominion of life and of death over all
! Christians, by the Popes as Gods rep
resentatives on earth If a magis-
| trate declined to carry out the laws ne
was to be communicated. If this were
not enough the city was to be laid
under interdict, i. e.. no marriages or
burials or other rites Of the Church
were to be performed by the clergy.
If resistance was continued the off,
Gals We're to be removed.
Cardinal Albazzi informs us in his
hi of he
process was drawn up by the Pope for
the judges.
AS time went on all principles of JUS
tice and equity disappeared from the
practices of the inquisition. Innocent
w. increased its seventies, and di
rected that torture should be admins
tered, and later Popes Alexander ".
Clement w. and Calixtus III. approx
ed of these measures by explicit d.
rections.
Eymerich, the Roman Catholic. in
his classical work written in the four
teenth century, describes the process
of the inquisition. For mere suspicion
torture could be applied: it was an act
of mercy If a man was imprisoned
for life between four narrow walls and
fed on bread and water; the accused
was not allowed to know the names
of his accusers; all means of legal pro-
lection were denied him; there was no
right of appeal; and no legal adviser
was allowed the accused. Two wit
nesses secured conviction and wit
nesses who were not permitted to tes-
tify in any other trials, such as per-
jurers and criminals were here admit
ted. The inquisitor was forbidden to
show the accused any pity and no re-
cantation could save. ALL THIS WAS
DONE BY THE EXPRESS ORDERS
OF THE POPES, as they themselves
frequently assert. The inquisitors
were the delegates of the Popes and
every one condemned to torture or
death was so condemned in the name
of the Pope and by his general or spe-
cial order. The constitution of Pope
Benedict XII. assures the fnquisitors
that they have all the rights and the
privileges of the crusaders.
Innocent III. said that the sons of
the victims were to be granted life
only and that. as an act Of mercy.
In the fourteenth century the princi-
pie was so extended that whoever dis
obeyed a papal command was guilty of
heresy, and was handed over to the
powers to be put to death or otherwise
punished. One instance Of many in this
line is the case of the Ghibelline house /
of the visconti Of Milan, a Papal Bull, |
declaring them to be heretics although |
they swore that they were not; yet |
they and their adherents and their SUBJ
jects were condemned to slavery.
I have only given the awful facts. or |
rather have touched the awful record |
of facts. Any one may verify them II |
he reads UP on the matter 1t is not |
necessary to comment on them. The |
point is this: The Popes were directly |
for all that was done, and /
we are now informed that '"The Roman
Pontiffs have never regretted having /
it, Ii. e. the inqufsition). |
One is bound to ask the question in re-
gard to Father Beisse1, and to answer
1t thus: He would like to see the whole
system fully restored. It is part of the
papacy.
1t is well to notice that what have
written is not taken from Protestant
sources. The fact is. the period of the
nquisition was one in which men SEEM
I'd to have lost their heads and their
hearts. There are times like that of
he Salem witchcraft excitement when
t is hard TO understand human action
Ind when one is ashamed of the race.
But in the case of the inqnisition it
vas deliberately carried on for GEN.
uries. 1t is folly to try to defend the
nquisition, the only sensible way is
o own up and to regret it and not
.ndeavor to attempt to defend its dia-
,olical enormities. as Father Beisse1
ioes.
Yours for historical accuracy,