This post is in response to a question that came out of a prior post, in two parts dated 4-7-24 and 4-10-24, “Long Division”.
In a brief discussion about the Inquisition the statement was made:
“The Inquisition began circa 1100 A.D. but did not reach its height of cruelty until it was established in 1229 A.D. and was in force about 600 years, and still exists on paper since 1965 under a new name, waiting to be used again.”
It is my fault that the wording is so vague because I was trying to cram too much information into too few words.
What is meant by the statement that the Inquisition still exists on paper is that the office of the Inquisition still exists as part of what has been named, “Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith”.
Essentially this Congregation is a large organization with many functions, one of which is the Inquisition which currently is more internal than outward. Kind of like the department of internal affairs in a police department.
The Congregation’s sole objective is to, “Spread sound Catholic doctrine and defend those points of Christian tradition which seem in danger because of new and unacceptable doctrines.”
The phrase “… on paper since 1965 under a new name, waiting to be used again” means the Inquisition will once again be enforced by the coming all inclusive worldwide super-church.
This new church will come out of that which is left of the Catholic Church, after the rapture and during the first half of the tribulation (3 ½ years).
“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’ So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman [the super-church] sitting on a scarlet beast [the Antichrist] which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.” Revelation 17:1-6.
The rapture will be the removal from the earth of the true church of Jesus Christ, which will include both Protestants and Catholics who have accepted Christ as their Savior.
The rest of this post is kind of abysmal for those with a tender heart. You may wish to stop here and go to Demonized Men, Part 2 which will be posted after this one.
As stated, the Inquisition was established as a permanent institution in 1229 A.D. and in 1231 Pope Gregory IX made the punishment for heresy either life in prison or death.
Along with the punishment all the heretic’s property was confiscated leaving the widow or other family members without any means of support.
Such cruelty could only be conceived by demonized men. Bear in mind that all of this comes after one is accused of heresy, often by an enemy, an angry neighbor, or by men who were paid to find heretics and report them.
Even the priests were able to coerce wives or women they were attracted to, to have sex with them, or else they would accuse them of being a heretic.
The victim may not hear the charges against them, they may never know who reported them, meaning that they would have no way of refuting the charges.
They could be held indefinitely; and many were held in a cell next to where people were being tortured. By the time it was their turn they were more than eager to confess to heresy to avoid torture.
They may have a lawyer represent them, but the lawyers would not want to be too successful because they might be accused of heresy themselves.
One man, a Franciscan Inquisitor himself, who was fairer minded than most, more interested in the truth than convictions, fell into disfavor with the Dominican Inquisitors. Soon enough he found himself on the wrong end of the Inquisition.
He was found guilty and literally walled up in a small space and near death when the pope at the time rescued him and pardoned him. But only until that pope died, the new pope had him rearrested tortured and thrown into prison where he died.
Read the United States Constitution, men who founded this country came out of times of persecution both by state churches and the Inquisition.
Read the Bill of Rights, the first ten Amendments ratified on December 15, 1791.
Specifically the first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth, read them and compare them to the things you have read about the Inquisition. God fearing men, not atheists, remembered European history when they wrote the Constitution. The first Amendment is shown below.
Amendment 1
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” U.S Constitution Bill of Rights.
If those inquisitors who were paid to lie about a victim were found out, they would be excused due to their religious zeal for the church.
Likewise, if the inquisitors were found to shed blood or some other extreme forbidden by the church, they could exonerate each other of wrongdoing. Something they must have done numerous times.
These people were such filth; it is impossible to come up with words to describe them. Do not for one fraction of a second think that God will welcome such trash into heaven.
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city [the heavenly city]. But outside [in the lake of fire, not outside the city] are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.” Revelation 22:14-15.
“Blessed are those who do His commandments…” and what are His commandments?
“And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.” 1 John 3:23.
“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40.
Can anyone look at these verses and see where they include murderers, pedophile priests, rapists, extortionists, those who torture people, or liars?
And then to say they are doing these things in the name of Jesus! These folks are either burning in hell or headed there my friends.
As for the tortures, let us just mention the most familiar, the rack and burning at the stake. The internet has many more lurid details if one is inclined to look them up but be prepared to be distressed if you are not used to such things.
The institution of Inquisition was abolished in the early 1800s, except in the Papal States where it survived as part of the “Roman Curia”, the Roman Court.
In 1904 it was renamed “Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office”. In 1965 it became “Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith”. As stated earlier, this is a large bureaucracy, including the office of Inquisition which was meant to be a permanent institution.
This post is not a diatribe against the Catholic Church because there are many Christians who call themselves Catholics and I do not want to alienate either them or Catholics in general.
The things in all my posts are meant to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ to anyone and everyone, they are not about religion.
But facts are facts and Scripture is the measure of all things, so we shall continue, without animosity.
As stated, the Catholic Church, like all Protestant churches is composed of both believers, and nonbelievers who claim to be Christians.
When Christ comes for His bride, the church, some churches will be emptied, but far more will have many who have not accepted Christ as their Savior, and will be left behind, along with many pastors, priests, cardinals, and elders.
Many folks claim to reject Christ because they do not believe in organized religion. But there are only two real organized religions, the Catholic Church, and Islam.
While Islam might be thought of as just a religion, they are far more organized and stricter than it may seem. What the Ayatollahs (sign of Allah), Grand Ayatollahs (Great Sign of Allah), and the Imams (there are different titles and functions) say is law is not to be trifled with because it is supposedly straight from the lips of Allah.
This can be said of the Vicar of Christ the pope; his words have the weight of God behind them. In fact both religions are technically theocracies (though mainstream Catholics seem often to ignore the pope).
And both the Catholicism of the Inquisition and the Muslim religion defame God because most people do not realize that Allah is not the same as the God of the Christians and the Jews.
So, they blame the true and living God for the horrors inflicted on humanity by the Muslims. And they blame the true and living God for the horrors inflicted during the Inquisition by godless men.
“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.” 2 Peter 2:1-2.
For more on man’s constant habit of blaming God for this world’s condition see, “God Is Not a Monster” parts 1 and 2 posted here on 4-4-23 and 4-9-23.
Catholic theocracy is evident from the early church when they ruled all the nations through fear of the Inquisition and of being sent to hell.
Though Islam is this and worse, wherever the Muslim goes he is always a Muslim, never a French Muslim, English Muslim, or American Muslim and their allegiance is to the Islamic leadership, not the government where they live.
Because of the prophesied invasion of Israel by Russia and her allies, which will include nearly all Muslims, and the consequent annihilation of these armies on the mountains of Israel, it is unlikely that Islam will exist during the tribulation.
See Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39:1-24, or for more information see, “Flash: Russia Invades Israel” posted here on 12-4-23, and “An Evil Plan” parts 1 and 2 posted on 12-6-23 and 12-10-23.
The absence of Islam will leave only one other organized religion, the largest one, the Catholic Church, or the shell of what is left of it after the rapture of the true Christians.
With all the Catholic Christians gone, all restraint will be removed, and the Inquisition will return with a vengeance causing the earlier one to pale in comparison.
This will be a worldwide super-church encompassing all religions, but rejecting the gospel of Jesus Christ, and persecuting those who come to Christ in a bloodbath beyond comprehension.
“I saw the woman [the super-church], drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.” Revelation 17:6.
Demonized Men, Part 1 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 12-26-15 updated on 4-13-24 ck.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.