Inquisition of the Church

Definition

The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church tasked with identifying, suppressing, and punishing heresy - beliefs or practices contrary to church doctrine. It began around 12th century and lasted until 19th century.

Analogy

Imagine your school has strict rules against cheating. Now imagine there’s a special group made up only from teachers who are responsible for finding cheaters, investigating them thoroughly like detectives, then deciding their punishment – this would be similar to what happened during Inquisition.

Related terms

Heresy: Any belief or theory that strongly disagrees with established beliefs or customs, particularly in the context of religion.

Spanish Inquisition: A specific and notorious branch of the Inquisition that was established in Spain in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.

Auto-da-fé: A public ceremony during which the sentences against heretics were carried out. It often involved public shaming, confiscation of property, imprisonment, and even execution.