Notes on Papal Bulls 1A–1B and 2A–2B (Inquisition against sorcery, 1484–1487)

  • Papal Bull 1A∗–1B∗ (Innocent VIII’s zeal to strengthen the Catholic Faith and suppress sorcery)

    • Purpose and tone
    • Written by BISHOP Innocent (Innocent VIII) to preserve the memory of this act and strengthen Catholic Faith in times of perceived heretical depravity.
    • Expresses pastoral concern to eradicate errors and to press faith more firmly into the hearts of the faithful.
    • Context and geographic scope
    • Addresses abuses in Upper Germany and in the provinces, cities, lands, and dioceses of: Mainz, Cologne, Trier, Salzburg, and Bremen.
    • Describes priests, clergy, and laity who have forgotten salvation and deviated from the Catholic Faith.
    • Crimes and practices attributed to the heretics
    • Use of incubus and succubus demons; incantations, chants, conjurations, and other superstitions and acts of sorcery.
    • Destruction and harm to creation and people: offspring of women, progeny of animals, produce of the earth, grapes, fruits, crops, vines, orchards, fields, pastures, wheat, grain, and other crops; also men, women, and work animals (cows, sheep, etc.).
    • Infliction of pains and torments (internal and external); hindrance to fathering children and conceiving.
    • Sacrilegious renunciation of the Faith received at Holy Baptism; numerous other unspeakable acts, excesses, and crimes.
    • Theological frame and motive
    • Attributed to the Enemy of the Human Race; the aim is the endangerment of souls and offense to God’s majesty.
    • Emphasizes the scandalous example set for many by these acts.
    • Key phrases and implications
    • Emphasizes that these acts are carried out “with sacrilegious speech” and are part of a campaign to destroy social and cosmic order (fertility, harvest, and progeny).
    • Links personal evil to communal harm and to soul salvation.
    • Historical note
    • The text notes this is issued in 1484, during the pontificate of Innocent VIII.

  • Papal Bull 1A∗–1B∗ (Continuation and the Inquisitors’ appointment)

    • Inquisitors named and challenged authority
    • Henricus Institoris and Jacobus Sprenger, Dominican Inquisitors and Professors of Theology, were appointed by Apostolic Letter as Inquisitors into Heretical Depravity.
    • They operated in Upper Germany (Institoris) and along the Rhine (Sprenger).
    • Jurisdictional dispute raised by some clergy and laypeople
    • Some argue that because specific provinces, cities, dioceses, lands, and places were not named in the appointment letter, those areas are not under their authority.
    • They claim it is not permissible for the Inquisitors to act there, leading to unpunished excesses and risks to souls.
    • The response and remedy
    • The Bull declares the aim to remove impediments and extend the Inquisitors’ authority to these regions by apostolic power; to ensure Inquisitors can correct, imprison, and punish for the aforementioned excesses and crimes.
    • Provisions to ensure enforcement
    • The Inquisitors may act together or with a notary (Johannes Gremper, Master in the arts, cleric of Constance) or any other public notary deputized by them.
    • They may pro­claim and preach in the parochial churches where beneficial.
    • Public publication and safeguarding the process
    • The Bishop of Strasbourg is to publish the decree publicly when beneficial; he must not allow harassment or impediment by authorities.
    • He may employ censures (excommunication, suspension, interdict) and other punishments and may aggravate sentences if necessary, even invoking secular aid.
    • Protections against obstruction
    • No one may hinder the text’s force by exploiting indulgences or other papal decisions not explicitly mentioned in the present letter.
    • The letter states that no indulgence that could impede the effect of this grace should be applied unless specifically mentioned in the present letter.
    • Warnings and consequences
    • Those who oppose or obstruct face the outrage of Omnipotent God and of St. Peter and St. Paul.
    • Formal publication and dating notes
    • Issued in Rome at St. Peter’s in 1484, on the Nones [5th] of December, in the first year of Innocent VIII’s Pontificate.
    • Appendix and scholarly endorsement
    • The approbation of the following treatise and the signatures of the doctors of the University of Cologne accompany the document as a public record.
    • Explanatory notes (from the editor/annotations)
    • 13: Official designation of the Dominican Order.
    • 14: Reference to Romans 12:3 (humility about one’s own placement in the body of the church).

  • Papal Bull 2A∗–2B∗ (Expansion of authority and procedural details)

    • Expansion of power across provinces
    • By apostolic authority, the Inquisitors are empowered to carry out the Office of the Inquisition in the aforementioned provinces, cities, dioceses, lands, and places against any person, of any status or rank, to correct, imprison, punish, and fine for culpability related to the described excesses and crimes.
    • They may operate jointly or individually, with temporary deputization of Johannes Gremper (notary) or any other public notary.
    • Sanction to preach and to compel publication
    • They are authorized to preach the Word in parochial churches when beneficial.
    • The Bishop of Strasbourg is to publicize the order, personally or through others, and safeguard the process from harassment or impediment.
    • Safeguards against external interference
    • The Bishop’s enforcement may employ excommunication, suspension, interdict, or other measures as needed; he may also compel adherence using the secular arm if necessary.
    • Indulgences and papal decrees clause
    • No indulgence or papal decision that would delay or impede the grace of the present letter may be invoked unless explicitly included in the present document; every indulgence must be mentioned in full within this letter to be valid for this purpose.
    • Explicit prohibition against violating the text
    • The document warns against rash boldness and presumes obedience to the letter under the threat of divine wrath.
    • Formal dating and publication details
    • The text closes with the standard papal formulary: issued in Rome at St. Peter’s, in the year of the Incarnation 1484, on the Nones of December, in the first year of Innocent VIII’s Pontificate; followed by a public document dating in 1487 with indiction details (fifth indiction) and a specific date (Saturday, May 19, around 5 p.m.), in the third year of the Pontificate.
    • Public document attributes
    • The document records the presence of the most holy fathers, monks, or friars Henricus Institoris and Jacobus Sprenger, their roles as inquisitors, and their collegial work with a notary.
    • Notable footnotes within the text
    • 15: Johann Gremper of Laufenburg identified as Imperial notary.
    • 16: Albrecht of Bavaria as Bishop (in office 1478–1506); note that the reason for the injunction to him is unknown but presumed related to prior obstruction.
    • Overall significance of the two bulls
    • They formalize and expand papal authority over inquisitorial actions against alleged sorcery and heresy in specified German-speaking regions.
    • They reflect the blend of pastoral concern, theological framing, and political power used to police belief and enforce conformity.

  • Key people, roles, and terms to know

    • Innocent VIII (Pope) – author/power sponsor; aims to eradicate heresy and sorcery.
    • Henricus Institoris – Dominican inquisitor, Professor of Holy Theology; operates in Upper Germany.
    • Jacobus Sprenger – Dominican inquisitor, Professor of Theology; operates along the Rhine.
    • Johannes Gremper – Imperial notary; designated to accompany the inquisitors as notary.
    • Bishop of Strasbourg – tasked with publicizing the decree and ensuring enforcement.
    • University of Cologne – provides approbation/signatures to the treatise accompanying the bull.
    • The Enemy of the Human Race – theological personification of evil driving sorcery and harm.

  • Key concepts and implications to understand

    • Inquisitorial authority and jurisdiction
    • The bulls illustrate how papal authority can extend beyond named territories by extension to achieve centralized control over inquisitorial proceedings.
    • The relationship between church and state power
    • The text contemplates secular coercive measures (the secular arm) to enforce ecclesiastical penalties.
    • The role of sacramental disenfranchisement in persecution
    • The acts include renunciation of baptism and destruction of social order, tying belief to social and material harm.
    • Mediation of fear and social control
    • Language emphasizes catastrophic harm to crops, livestock, fertility, and social order as motivation to aggressively pursue enforcement.
    • Gendered dynamics and religion
    • The rhetoric targets sorcery and influences on fertility; the text enumerates harm to men, women, and agricultural production, reflecting broader gendered anxieties of reproduction and household economy.
    • Ethical and philosophical implications
    • The document invokes fear and excommunication as tools of governance; questions arise about due process, evidence standards, and the rights of accused individuals.

  • Chronology and dating references expressed in the text (with LaTeX-ready numerals)

    • Year of the Incarnation: 14841484
    • Nones of December: (date reference within the papal calendar) – explicit day stated as December 5: 55th day of December
    • First year of the Pontificate (Innocent VIII): 11st year
    • Year of the Birth of Our Lord 1487 (public document dating): 14871487
    • Fifth indiction: 55th indiction
    • Date mentioned: Saturday, May 1919, in the third year of the Pontificate
    • Time reference: around 55 in the afternoon

  • Direct phrases and notable quotations to recall

    • “the Office of the Inquisition” and “to correct, imprison and punish these persons for the aforementioned excesses and crimes in all regards and by all means”
    • “No obstacle is provided by the foregoing or by any contrary Apostolic decisions and commands whatsoever, or by the Holy See … which could in any way impede or postpone the effect of such a grace”
    • “let no one be permitted to violate this text … or oppose it with rash boldness”
    • “the outrages of Omnipotent God and of St. Peter and St. Paul, His Apostles” as a warning against resistance

  • Connections to broader themes in the era

    • Early modern witch-hunting logic: alleged harm caused by sorceresses tied to social and economic stability; church’s role in policing belief; the interplay between doctrinal orthodoxy and state coercion.
    • The Malleus Maleficarum tradition: Institoris and Sprenger would later be associated with broader treatises on witchcraft; this bull provides institutional groundwork for inquisitorial procedures and the legitimization of witch-hunt practices.
    • Canon law and local power structures: the involvement of bishops, notaries, and secular authorities illustrates how canon law interacts with local governance.

  • Summary takeaways

    • The bulls codify, extend, and enforce a centralized inquisitorial program against sorcery in specified German-speaking regions.
    • They emphasize a union of pastoral zeal, doctrinal correctness, and coercive power (including potential use of the secular arm) to suppress perceived heresy and sorcery.
    • They reflect the historical moment’s anxiety about reproduction, agriculture, and social order, especially as mediated through religious authority.

  • Quick reference: key dates and terms (LaTeX-ready)

    • 14841484 (year of issuance; 5th December, 1st year of Innocent VIII’s Pontificate)
    • 14871487 (public document dating; 5th indiction; May 19; 3rd year of Pontificate)
    • 55th indiction (dating convention)
    • Inquisitors: Henricus Institoris, Jacobus Sprenger
    • Notary: Johannes Gremper
    • Bishop of Strasbourg: guardian of publication and enforcement

  • Would-be exam takeaway questions

    • What regions were initially targeted by the Bull 1A∗–1B∗, and what offenses were cited?
    • How did the bull attempt to resolve jurisdictional disputes regarding the Inquisitors’ authority?
    • What legal mechanisms were granted to the Inquisitors and to the Bishop of Strasbourg to enforce the decree?
    • How do the dates and indictions reflect medieval dating practices, and why do they matter for understanding the text’s authority?
    • In what ways does the text reflect broader ethical and political implications of prosecuting sorcery in late medieval Europe?