Lehre und Wehre St. Louis, Missouri — März 1908, Seite 130

German transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

Cited in Eckhardt's Reallexikon (1907) under: Chriſtenverfolgung 2

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130 Literatur.

erste Kapitel schildert die Stellung zur Häresie überhaupt. Das zweite weist
nach, wie die Inquisition ihre Macht über die Mönchsorden ausdehnte; das dritte,
wie sie auch die Bischöfe in ihre Gewalt zu bringen suchte. Ausführlich wird
dabei behandelt die Verfolgung Carranzas, der sich rühmte, in England unter
Maria der Blutigen 30,000 Ketzer teils verbrannt, teils vertrieben, teils in den
Schoß der Kirche zurückgeführt zu haben, und nun selber ein Opfer der Inqui⸗
sition geworden war. Das vierte Kapitel handelt von dem Edikt des Glaubens
und seinen Wirkungen, das fünfte von den Appellationen an den Papst, wobei
die schamlose Geldgier, Verlogenheit und Treulosigkeit der Päpste zutage tritt.
Das vierte Buch beschreibt die Organisation des „heiligen Offiziums“ mit seinen
Beamten und Tribunalen. Das fünfte Buch berichtet über die Einnahmen aus
Konfiskationen, Geldstrafen, Dispensationen und Benefizien. Das sechste Buch
schildert ausführlich die Handhabung des Gerichts in folgenden Kapiteln: 1. The
Edict of Grace; 2. The Inquisitorial Process; 3. Arrest and Sequestration;
4. The Secret Prison; 5. Evidence; 6. Confession. Der Anhang bringt dann
noch eine Anzahl von Dokumenten in lateinischer und spanischer Sprache. In
dem Kapitel über Häresie sagt Lea: „These convictions (concerning heresy)
were part of the mental and moral fiber of the community and were the
outeome of the assiduous teachings of the Church for centuries, until it
was classed with the primal truths, that it was the highest duty of the
sovereign to erush out dissidence at whatever cost, and that hatred of the
heretic was enjoined on every Christian by both divine and human law.
The heretie was a venomous reptile spreading contagion with his very
breath, and the safety of the land required his extermination as a source
of pestilence. Haereticus animal pestilentissimum est: quamobrem puniri
debet antequam virus impietatis evomat, forasque projiciat. (Simancae de
Cathol. Institt., Tit. II, n. 17.)“ Ferner zur römischen Lehre, daß ein Sakra⸗
ment nur gültig sei, wenn auf seiten des Priesters die Intention vorhanden ist:
No man could tell how many priests there were like Andrés Gonzälaz,
parish priest of San Martin de Talavesa, who, on his trial at Toledo, in
1486, confessed that for fourteen years he had secretly been a Jew, that
he had no intention when he celebrated mass, nor had he granted absolu-
tion to the penitents confessing to him.“ Ferner: „Children were con-
sidered capable of committing heéresy as soon as they were doli capaces, at
six or seven years, but were not held responsible until they reached years
of discretion. This was flxed by Torquemada at twelve for girls and four-
teen for boys, below which they were not to be made to abjure in public,
but the limit was frequently infringed. In 1501, Inesita, daughter of Mar-
cos Garcia, between nine and ten years old, and Isabel, daughter of Alvaro
Ortolano, aged ten, were sentenced to appear in an auto deé fé. Von dem
„Edikt des Glaubens“ sagt Lea: No more ingenious device has been in⸗
vented to subjugate a whole population, to paralyze its intelleet and to
seduce it to blind obedience. It elevated delation to the rank of high
religious duty, it filled the land with spies, and it rendered every man an
objeet of suspicion, not only to his neighbor, but to the members of his
own family, and to the stranger whom he might chance to meet. Con-
tinued through generations, this could not fail to leave its impress on the
national character.“ Daß Lea hier nicht zu scharf urteilt, geht hervor aus fol⸗
gendem Auszug aus dem „Edikt des Glaubens“ vom Jahre 1696: „The edict is
addressed to every one individually, so that, if he has known or heard say
that any one, living or dead, present or absent, has done or uttered or be-
lieved any aet, word, or opinion, heretical, suspeet, erroneous, rasb, ill-
sounding, scandalous, or heéretically blasphemous, it must be revealed to
the tribunal within six days. Then follows an enumeration of alli Jewish
rites and customs; then similar lists concerning Mahometanism, Protes-
tantism, and Illuminism; then, under the heading of Diversas Heregias,“
follow blasphemy, with specimens of heretical oaths; keeping or invoking
familiar demons; witcheraft; pacts, taeit or expreéssed, with the devil;
mixing for this purpose sacred and profane objects and attributing to the
ereature that which belongs to the Creator; marrying in Orders; solicita-
tion of women in confession; bigamy; saying that there is no sin in simple
fornication, or usury, or perjury, or that concubinage is better than mar⸗

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