Goan Inquisition

[Atreyu]

Wikipedia has a very anti-Catholic version of the events of the Inquisition in Goa, by the Portugese. I wonder if someone can point me to an unbiased (or even one from a Catholic POV) source of information on this inquisition? Also, if there are some people here who are well-versed in editing Wikipedia, is there any chance of looking into that?

 

[Eden]

I remember some time last year, we had a Muslim poster from that part of the world who was outraged that their ancestors had been victimized by the Goan Inquisition.

From what I found at that time, it was Portuguese soldiers (Catholic in name only, it appears), who raped and pillaged Goa.

This is from a New Advent article on St. Francis Xavier:

On 7 April, 1541, he embarked in a sailing vessel for India, and after a tedious and dangerous voyage landed at Goa, 6 May, 1542. The first five months he spent in preaching and ministering to the sick in the hospitals. He would go through the streets ringing a little bell and inviting the children to hear the word of God. When he had gathered a number, he would take them to a certain church and would there explain the catechism to them. About October, 1542, he started for the pearl fisheries of the extreme southern coast of the peninsula, desirous of restoring Christanity which, although introduced years before, had almost disappeared on account of the lack of priests. He devoted almost three years to the work of preaching to the people of Western India, converting many, and reaching in his journeys even the Island of Ceylon. Many were the difficulties and hardships which Xavier had to encounter at this time, sometimes on account of the cruel persecutions which some of the petty kings of the country carried on against the neophytes, and again because the Portuguese soldiers, far from seconding the work of the saint, retarded it by their bad example and vicious habits.

newadvent.org/cathen/06233b.htm

 

[rpp]

This is a wonderful audio presentation by Matthew Arnold. Though is is not about the Portugese inquisition specifically, it is an excellent overview.

saintjoemp3.com/servlet/Categories?category=Mathew+Arnold

It is also available on CD.

saintjoe.com/more-info.php?product=385&Title=Fire-and-Sword:-Crusade,-Inquisition,-Reformation

I would add that I trust Wikipedia about as much as the Nathional Enquirer or National Catholic Reporter newspapers. In fact, The Onion web site had more facts than Wikipedia.

 

[Atreyu]

This is a wonderful audio presentation by Matthew Arnold. Though is is not about the Portugese inquisition specifically, it is an excellent overview.

saintjoemp3.com/servlet/Categories?category=Mathew+Arnold

It is also available on CD.

saintjoe.com/more-info.php?product=385&Title=Fire-and-Sword:-Crusade,-Inquisition,-Reformation

I would add that I trust Wikipedia about as much as the Nathional Enquirer or National Catholic Reporter newspapers. In fact, The Onion web site had more facts than Wikipedia.

I knew someone would bring this up. You’re forgetting something here - Wikipedia is used by millions of people to get information on a range of things. I’ll use it as a starting point and I’m well aware of its limitations. Other people are not as aware. Therefore, when there is a page that is as blatantly anti-Catholic as this one, it needs to be fixed!

 

[rpp]

I knew someone would bring this up. You’re forgetting something here - Wikipedia is used by millions of people to get information on a range of things. I’ll use it as a starting point and I’m well aware of its limitations. Other people are not as aware. Therefore, when there is a page that is as blatantly anti-Catholic as this one, it needs to be fixed!

Yes, that is true. But I think two simultaneuous approaches are required.

One is is fix the problems as best as they can be, recallin that others can undo your fix.

The second is to constantly remind people that it is as reliable as a two-year-old asked to guard a box of candy.

 

[Eden]

Wikipedia is not always a reliable source because anyone can edit the entries, but I have heard Fr. Groeschel from EWTN and Jimmy Akin on Catholic Answers suggest that listeners refer to specific Wikipedia articles for a deeper understanding of what they were discussing. So, that gives some legitimacy to Wikipedia. Obviously, a lot of people use Wikipedia and I thinks it’s great that you want to fix the biased entry on the Goan Inquisition.

 

[Atreyu]

Wikipedia is not always a reliable source because anyone can edit the entries, but I have heard Fr. Groeschel from EWTN and Jimmy Akin on Catholic Answers suggest that listeners refer to specific Wikipedia articles for a deeper understanding of what they were discussing. So, that gives some legitimacy to Wikipedia. Obviously, a lot of people use Wikipedia and I thinks it’s great that you want to fix the biased entry on the Goan Inquisition.

Problem is, I don’t know enough about the Goan Inquisition!

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Wikipedia has a very anti-Catholic version of the events of the Inquisition in Goa, by the Portugese. I wonder if someone can point me to an unbiased (or even one from a Catholic POV) source of information on this inquisition? Also, if there are some people here who are well-versed in editing Wikipedia, is there any chance of looking into that?

**The article isn’t flattering - but that doesn’t make any of it untrue. I’ve read of some of these things elsewhere. **​

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**The Portuguese treated the Jews abominably in Portugal - so it’s not surprising to read of their doing likewise in India. **

---

I’d rather know of unpleasant facts than go through life under the rosy illusion that nothing foul has been done in the Church’s name or by its authority - it makes it harder for genuine anti-Catholics to give one nasty surprises by flourishing this or that Catholic atrocity. The rosy view exposes one to getting some very nasty shocks when one is told that the CC behaved badly. Besides, the Church does not cease to be the Church because of human vileness - because it is not upon human goodness. Even if every Catholic ever were** a monster of cruelty & deceit, this would not affect the holiness or the Christian character of ****the Church in the slightest, because the Church is founded upon Christ, & is sustained by Christ - not on us. **

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Wikipedia has a very anti-Catholic version of the events of the Inquisition in Goa, by the Portugese. I wonder if someone can point me to an unbiased (or even one from a Catholic POV) source of information on this inquisition? Also, if there are some people here who are well-versed in editing Wikipedia, is there any chance of looking into that?

**The article isn’t flattering - but that doesn’t make any of it untrue. I’ve read of some of these things elsewhere. **​

**The Portuguese treated the Jews abominably in Portugal - so it’s not surprising to read they did likewise in India. **

**Geoffrey Hull (who is a traditionally-minded Australian Catholic) has a fair deal to say about the Synod of Diamper in his book “The Banished Heart” - the article confirms what he says. **

I’d rather know of unpleasant facts than go through life under the rosy illusion that nothing foul has been done in the Church’s name or by its authority - it makes it harder for genuine anti-Catholics to give one nasty surprises by flourishing this or that Catholic atrocity. The rosy view exposes one to getting some very nasty shocks when one is told that the CC behaved badly. Besides, the Church does not cease to be the Church because of human vileness - because it is not built on, or dependent on, human goodness. Even if every Catholic ever were** a monster of the most murderous cruelty & deceit, this would not affect the holiness or the Christian character of ****the Church in the slightest, because the Church is founded upon Christ, & is sustained by Christ - not on us. **

An excellent study ‘The Banished Heart’ by Dr. Geoffrey Hull gives the sad history of the effect of centralism and an aggressive ultramontanism on liturgy. …

[rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/20 … 06/10/authority-and-recognition.html](http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/20 … 06/10/authority-and-recognition.html)

Also:

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I read ‘The Banished Heart’ and I cannot recommend it strongly enough. It is a painful reading for everyone who loves the Church, but a very necessary one, especially for traditionalists. I bought my copy from

promultis.com

I can second that entirely - it’s not a comfortable read, but it is very informative ##

 

[Atreyu]

**The article isn’t flattering - but that doesn’t make any of it untrue. I’ve read of some of these things elsewhere. **​

**The Portuguese treated the Jews abominably in Portugal - so it’s not surprising to read they did likewise in India. **

**Geoffrey Hull (who is a traditionally-minded Australian Catholic) has a fair deal to say about the Synod of Diamper in his book “The Banished Heart” - the article confirms what he says. **

I’d rather know of unpleasant facts than go through life under the rosy illusion that nothing foul has been done in the Church’s name or by its authority - it makes it harder for genuine anti-Catholics to give one nasty surprises by flourishing this or that Catholic atrocity. The rosy view exposes one to getting some very nasty shocks when one is told that the CC behaved badly. Besides, the Church does not cease to be the Church because of human vileness - because it is not built on, or dependent on, human goodness. Even if every Catholic ever were** a monster of the most murderous cruelty & deceit, this would not affect the holiness or the Christian character of ****the Church in the slightest, because the Church is founded upon Christ, & is sustained by Christ - not on us. **

An excellent study ‘The Banished Heart’ by Dr. Geoffrey Hull gives the sad history of the effect of centralism and an aggressive ultramontanism on liturgy. …

[rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/20 … 06/10/authority-and-recognition.html](http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/20 … 06/10/authority-and-recognition.html)

Also:

---

I read ‘The Banished Heart’ and I cannot recommend it strongly enough. It is a painful reading for everyone who loves the Church, but a very necessary one, especially for traditionalists. I bought my copy from

promultis.com

I can second that entirely - it’s not a comfortable read, but it is very informative ##

Cheers, GoG. I guess my main objections were to the linking of saint Francis Xavier to the Inquisition, and the use of the word “genocide”. I believe the word genocide has now been removed thankfully. One of the editors claims that Francis Xavier was the “face of the inquisition” and that is just not true, as far as I can determine. I mean, he died 8 years before the inquisition started, so if it went off the rails then it was hardly his fault.