Tomás de Torquemada

First Grand Inquisitor of Spain, born at Valladolid in 1420; died at Avila, 16 September, 1498. He was a nephew of the celebrated theologian and cardinal, Juan de Torquemada. In his early youth he entered the Dominican monastery at Valladolid, and later was appointed prior of the Monastery of Santa Cruz at Segovia, an office which he held for twenty-two years. The Infanta Isabella chose him as her confessor while at Segovia, and when she succeeded to the throne of Castile in 1474 he became one of her most trusted and influential councillors......
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14783a.htm

#112032 by purplewolf on 11/06 at 9:08 pm: “...OH NO it’s THE AMERICAN INQUISITION...!”

And todays lesson is......Tomás de Torquemada!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomás_de_Torquemada

Ironically neither Torquemada nor the Inquisition are treated by the Catholic church anywhere near as critically as any other historical writers. And, just like the Bush administration, the Catholic church is forever excusing itself, uhh....

Quote: “Curiously enough, torture was not regarded as a mode of punishment, but purely as a means of eliciting the truth. It was not of ecclesiastical origin, and was long prohibited in the ecclesiastical courts. Nor was it originally an important factor in the inquisitional procedure, being unauthorized until twenty years after the Inquisition had begun....... It was first authorized by Innocent IV in his Bull “Ad exstirpanda” of 15 May, 1252, which was confirmed by Alexander IV on 30 November, 1259, and by Clement IV on 3 November, 1265...... The limit placed upon torture was citra membri diminutionem et mortis periculum—i.e, it was not to cause the loss of life or limb or imperil life..... Torture was to applied only once, and not then unless the accused were uncertain in his statements, and seemed already virtually convicted by manifold and weighty proofs....... In general, this violent testimony (quaestio) was to be deferred as long as possible, and recourse to it was permitted in only when all other expedients were exhausted........

Conscientious and sensible judges quite properly attached no great importance to confessions extracted by torture....... After long experience Eymeric declared: Quaestiones sunt fallaces et inefficaces—i.e the torture is deceptive and ineffectual....”

Apparently, the Catholic church’s Inquisitors didn’t particularly believe in “renditioning”, though......

Quote: “The present writer can find nothing to suggest that the accused were imprisoned during the period of inquiry.....” http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08026a.htm

OH NO it’s THE AMERICAN INQUISITION!

And todays lesson is: Torture 101: The Rack Em Up

Right now, in the House, Steny Hoyer is waging a nasty war to stop Dennis Kucinich from offering his motion to file Articles of Impeachment against Dick Cheney.

Hoyer did this in the House just as he stopped the Iran provision and the Troop withdrawal provisions and pushed the Iraqi oil denationalization provision.

In the Senate Schumer has over the past few years done the same when he pushed through Mukasey, the Bankruptcy Act of 2005, the Patriot Act II redux, FISA, and a host of other undemocratic legislation.

We all need to take a hard look at a coup going on by a puppet group of our own Congressional leaders who repeatedly push through legislation not in the best interests of America nor in the best interests of American Citizens.

Those cancerous growths on the spines of elected representatives are just as vile as Dick Cheny himself.

When they seek to now install a puppet Judicial system - the voters and the voters alone should rise up.

The rise in support of Kucinich and Paul indicates they’re doing that very thing as we speak.

..."It would call the best avenue leading to...paradise and every AG under this debauched king wanted”.