Card. Biffi Disagrees With Card. Ratzinger Over Inquisition

Giacomo Cardinal Biffi

Function: Archbishop Emeritus of Bologna, Italy

Title: Cardinal Priest of SS Giovanni Evangelista e Petronio

Birthdate: Jun 13, 1928	Country: Italy

Elevated: May 25, 1985	More information: www.catholic-hierarchy.org

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Card. Biffi Disagrees With Card. Ratzinger Over Inquisition
Sept 10, 2004
An influential Italian cardinal publicly disagreed with the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on Friday on the need for a formal apology by the Church for the Spanish Inquisition.

(CWN, 29 Sep 1997) ROME - Giacomo Cardinal Biffi of Bologna told the Catholic newspaper L'Avvenire that too much of the history surrounding the 15th century Inquisition is still too contested to make any judgments about what really happened.

The kingdom of Spain formed a civil inquisition, or investigation, which tried, tortured, and sometimes executed people for all manner of crimes, including heresy and witchcraft. An ecclesiastical inquisition also tried heretics and witches, but did not use torture or execution in its punishments. The Church has in the past admitted that, while Catholics may have participated in the Inquisition they did so as individuals and not in the name of the Church.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, prefect of the CDF, said last week that the Church should apologize for the execution of the 16th century philosopher Giordano Bruno as part of the whole Inquisition. Pope John Paul has placed special emphasis on repenting for past sins and injustices in recent years as the Church prepares to celebrate the Jubilee Year in 2000.

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