Would we benefit from a modern Inquisition?

[ComradeAndrei]

By sheer numbers, it would take up so much time, the Church would have little time for Her other work.

I think a modern Inquisition would be best served to go after any heretical or questionable members of the clergy, the hierarchy, and any theologians or others who hold places of “officialdom” when it comes to Catholic teachings. Also, any members of the laity that are outspoken in heresy should be more aggressively silenced, ala what Bishop Bruskewicz did in Lincoln when it came to so-called “Catholic” organizations like Call to Action, the Lefvebrists, etc.

If we could purge the clergy and hierarchy, theology departments of heretics and silence any outspoken heretical or questionable lay organizations, it would give the average pew-warming laity no excuse for their errors.

 

[JMJ_Theresa]

ComradeAndrei:

I think a modern Inquisition would be best served to go after any heretical or questionable members of the clergy, the hierarchy, and any theologians or others who hold places of “officialdom” when it comes to Catholic teachings. Also, any members of the laity that are outspoken in heresy should be more aggressively silenced, ala what Bishop Bruskewicz did in Lincoln when it came to so-called “Catholic” organizations like Call to Action, the Lefvebrists, etc.

If we could purge the clergy and hierarchy, theology departments of heretics and silence any outspoken heretical or questionable lay organizations, it would give the average pew-warming laity no excuse for their errors.

Ha! It would still take up too much time.

 

[nucatholic]

God wills it! Holy War! Allah u Akbar! oops…wrong religion…

 

[Greg27]

I believe reviving something like the Inquisition (basically persecuting people for differing beliefs) is both unnneccesary and also would greatly damage the Church.

The historical inquisitions were great scandals, both at the time and also gravely damaged the historical reputation of the Church, particularly for the stupidity of some of the cases (such as the case against Galileo), the corruption of others (such as the alliance between political interests and religious interests) and their cruelty (especially during those of the medieval period and beyond) which aroused utter disgust and contempt even from loyal Catholics.

The Church in my view must never go back to this medieval barbarity, in any form.

 

[Chancellare]

I think Inquisition should be more applicable and impact to heretic priests rather than laity.

 

[puzzleannie]

Would it be a good idea to start an Inquisition to get rid of heretics and misinformation concerning the Catholic Church? Or would this cause more harm than good?

since the secular authority is not currently trying and punishing people for heresy, it is not needed. the purpose of the inquisition was to retain to the church the authority to examine the accused and judge whether or not they were heretics. This removed that authority from the kings and nobles who had been abusing it and using accusations of heresy for political ends, not on religious grounds. Heresy was seen as a danger to the state, but the kings were exceeding their authority by trying to judge religious mattes outside their competence. Whatever you saw on the PBS special was 50% outright lies, 50% exceedingly bad historical research, and 100% deliberate distortion of what few actual facts were presented. I can readily forgive mistaken opinions about the Catholic Church but I cannot forgive people who present themselves as historians commiting crimes against Clio the muse of history, with shoddy research and conclusions that flow from it.

 

[Contarini]

No one is suggesting that people be punished by any other means than excommunication and making it known who is in line with the Church and who isn’t. THAT is all we need.

But as others have pointed out, you still have an Inquisition in that sense–the CDF. You may think it isn’t doing its job very well, but it certainly exists.

Edwin