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The Vatican asks for forgiveness because of the Inquisition

The Inquisition

On first appearance Pope Gregory IX created the Inquisition in 1233 to fight against the heathen. During this time there were tortures, expeditious trials, forced conversions and burning of people at the stake.
The Inquisition had its highest peak during the XVI century when it tried to counteract the Reform.
About 25,000 people died out of a population of 16 million at the time. But the record, as far as proportions go, was registered in Liechtenstein, where more than 20 people out of a total population of 3,000, died after being sentenced of witch hunting. .
In this regard, the book’s editor stated that only 1.8% of the cases investigated by the Spanish Inquisition died. Mannequins were burned to represent those who were tried in their absence and sentenced to death.
Those heathen and “wizards” that repented at the last minute were first hung and then their bodies were burned. “This was considered a less agonizing death”, he added.

Vatican City, Reuters – Pope John Paul II asked for forgiveness due to actions and consequences of the Inquisition, during the presentation of the book edited by Professor Agostino Borromeo about the history of the Church during this time.

The Pope’s request became known while reading a letter during a cultural event last June. In this letter the Catholic leader repeated a phrase from a document released in 2000, in which he asked for forgiveness for the first time “because of the mistakes made while seeking the truth by means of methods that don’t have anything to do with the Gospel.”

In the letter, the Pope stated that he asked for forgiveness for the “events that happened during the Inquisition as well as for the injuries to the (collective) memory that followed.”

The 800-page book that was released on Tuesday was based on a series of dissertations that were written during an academic synopsis six years ago with the Vatican’s blessing.

During the presentation of the book, a graphic showed that Germany was the country where more men and women who were accused of witch craft were killed, and who had previously been tried in civil courts at the beginning of the XV century.

Agenda Project and the Hispanic Network for Human Rights call upon Vatican leaders to also ask forgiveness for the violations it has sponsored against lesbians, homosexual men, bisexuals and transgendered people./ Back to top

Homosexuals, lesbians and transgender receive Communion at the‘Catedral Primada’ in Bogotá

Bogotá, Proyecto Agenda – As an act of peaceful resistance, 30 lesbians, transgendered people and gay men showed up at this church on the 4^th of July wearing T-Shirts that had “Homophobia is not Christian” stamped in the front. On the back of the T-shirt it had a slogan that asked, “Are you homophobic?”

Monsignor Juan Miguel Huertas gave then Communion and others that attended the service gave them an impromptu applause.

The point of this exercise was to show that within the Catholic Church there are people from all different sexual orientations and gender identities that differ from the majority and to remember that Colombia is a civil, not a religious, country. In addition, this closed the events that were held during Pride Month../ Back to top

Latest Web developments

A series of study and reflection material was recently published on this Web site.

We highlighted six researches on homosexuality that were in the BIBLICAL STUDIES section, a publication of the Lutheran Church in Canada (1985) to be used on group studies at the community level, churches and congregations.

This is a document that hopes to open dialog and discussions venues without trying to doctrine but reflect. www.pastoralsida.com.ar. /Back to top