Google Preferred SourcesComments
ForumsShare

This week in Christian history: Spanish Inquisition, first worship service in Australia, Ethiopian church cuts ties with ELCA

By Michael Gryboski, Editor Twitter

First Spanish Inquisition auto-da-fé — Feb. 6, 1481

A 19th century depiction of an auto-da-fé, an important ritual of the Spanish Inquisition.
A 19th century depiction of an auto-da-fé, an important ritual of the Spanish Inquisition. | Public Domain

This week marks the anniversary of when the first ever auto-da-fé, a ceremony of the Spanish Inquisition in which heretics confess their crimes before being punished, took place in Sevilla.

Meaning “act of faith,” the auto-da-fé generally featured a procession, a solemn mass, an audience that would have included royalty, a reading of the charges, and a sermon.

Individuals labeled heretics and subjected to the ceremony frequently included Jewish converts to Christianity who reportedly backslid into their previous beliefs, Protestants and Muslims.

For the inaugural auto-da-fé in Sevilla, six of the individuals featured at the gathering were later executed by the secular government for heresy.

Approximately 2,000 auto-da-fé events would take place in the Iberian Peninsula, with approximately 300,000 alleged heretics being punished, with 30,000 of them being executed.

The last confirmed auto-da-fé to take place in Spain occurred in Valencia in 1826.

Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

Was this article helpful?

Become a CP Insider.
Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone.

The truth has a cost, and Insiders help carry it.
A dollar from an Insider comes with no strings attached. It keeps our reporters on the story, keeps our journalism open to everyone, and keeps every editorial decision in the newsroom, where it belongs.

Become a CP Insider and choose the amount you want to pay. You can change, pause or cancel anytime. As a thank-you, you’ll get:

  • The Insider Newsletter, a members-only monthly letter from our newsroom

  • Ad-free reading across christianpost.com


From as low as $8.25/month
Prefer to give once?

We’re sorry to hear that.

Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles.
Return to homepage.

Most Popular

More Articles