...is a myth.
The Inquisitions... Here's how the Berean Beacon describes the issue:
http://www.bereanbeacon.org/articles/sorted/01_On_Catholicism/Systematic_Murder_of_Believers.pdf
Basically, Mr Bennett is repeating propaganda invented by Protestants of the 16th century, the Black Legend, particularly.
The BBC did a program 16 years ago, "The Myth of the Spanish Inquisition"... Exposing the myth... And remember, nobody ever accused the BBC of being an arm of the "Catholic Office of Most Holy Propaganda" ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMkjvCKTK3Q
Here's what I've gleaned from research:
The inquisitions weren't concerned about your average citizen who might hold a superstitious belief or practice or who might have eaten meat on Friday a couple times. They were brought in to deal with people holding major heretical views and propagating them, hence drawing people away from (or preventing them from coming to) Christ. Sometimes, heretics and heretical movements caused civil-order problems, and rulers don't like that sort of thing.
While it is tragic (to our more enlightened sensibilities) that anyone was killed based on their religious views, we need to realize that medieval views of crime & punishment were vastly different from our modern American system of justice. Back then, the state considered heresy on par with treason and hence a capital crime. Often, mobs of citizens were meting out their own justice (burning or hanging) upon those they suspected of heresy or witchcraft. When a ruler suspected heresy in his realm he called for an inquisition from the Church. (though some inquisitions were initiated by the Church). The inquisition tribunal investigated the suspect(s). (Incidentally, the modern investigative method is rooted in those investigative principals implemented by the Church inquisitors.) Many many people were saved from undeserved abuse and death through these inquests. Sadly, torture was one method of compelling a heretic to repent, (another "less enlightened" practice of the society of the day), but under control of inquisitors was limited in frequency, intensity and duration. (maybe as damaging as modern CIA "aggressive interrogations" of terrorists). This is in contrast to the secular policy of severe torture and execution for various minor & major crimes. It was the secular authorities who perpetrated the real heinous tortures and executions.
Suspects who were convicted of heresy had the chance to repent and could then do penance and perhaps some prescribed civil punishment and return to God's good graces. Those who were found guilty of heresy and unrepentant were handed over to the secular authorities who applied their sentence. There were, sadly, some rogue Inquisitors who deviated from the Papal guidelines of inquisition, torturing and executing people.
Refer to Scripture to see the origin and purpose of an inquisitorial investigation:
1Cor5:1-5
1Cor5:12-13
1Cor 11:19
Gal 1:6-9
The purpose of an inquisition is to find, within the Christian family, whoever is propagating false teachings or behaving in particularly bad ways. That person or those persons are then booted out of the congregation if they don't change their ways.
"Inquisition" overview (mentions Pope's apology for abuses):
http://www.davidmacd.com/catholic/inquisition.htm#Why%20did%20people%20punish%20heretics,%20why%20didnt%20they%20just%20leave%20them%20be
Short article on the Inquisition:
http://www.ewtn.com/library/answers/inquis.htm
Wiki entry on Inquisition:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisition
Articles more or less detailed:
http://old.nationalreview.com/comment/madden200406181026.asp
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/history/world/wh0075.html
http://www.ewtn.com/library/homelibr/spaninq.txt
http://www.faith.org.uk/publications/Magazines/Jan07/Jan07NoOneExpectsTheSpanishInquisition.html
commenting on BBC's show "The Myth of the Spanish Inquisition":
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/history/world/wh0008.html
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