Wikipedia

[thessalonian]

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Innocent_IV"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Innocent_IV[/url]

It said that the Popes bull, Ad Existirpanda authorized the use of torture in the process of eliciting confessoins. This was incorrect. It acknowledge the authority of the king in making laws and the responsibility of government officials to carry them out AFTER they were convicted of heresy.

His learning gave to the world an Apparatus in quinque libros decretalium. But he also issued the papal bull Ad exstirpanda acknowledging the right of the state to punish heretics after they were convicted of heresy.

The article on the Inquisition is kindof a mess. :

Edited May 24, 2006 by thessalonian

[KatS]

Good for you Thess I learn so much from this phorum.

[phatcatholic]

[Justified Saint]

I especially like this bit of editorializing:

"If enough 'heretics' decide to think for themselves, the absolute authority of the Crown and the Pope is threatened."

And...

"The Spanish Inquisition continues to enjoy infamy as a historical accident wherein hate under religion's cloak turned once timid Catholic clergymen into professional killers. The phony trials and auto da fes were supposedly Christian events and still collectively stand out as one of justice's greatest historical mockeries."

Truly a model of historical judgement and neutrality...