Le pouvoir de l’Inquisition espagnole en débat ? Le Saint-Office et la troisième étape du concile de Trente (1562-1563)

It would make sense to think that the Inquisition’s power must have been analyzed by the Council of Trent. The bishops never would have missed an opportunity to give a ruling on an institution that encroached upon some of their former attributions. And yet the Council issued no decree on the Inquisition. King Philippe II’s watch prevented any conciliar decision from interfering with the Spanish Holy Office. Even though there was no official debate on the Inquisition in the conciliar records, diplomatic correspondance confirms the existence of an underground debate within sessions around the problem on several aspects such as: the 1558 revision of the Roman Index; issuing a safe-conduct for Protestants to go to Trent; the orthodoxy of Carranza’s catechism; the bishops’ power to absolve in conscience all doubtful cases, including heresy; the decree imposing the pope as the only competent judge in criminal affairs involving bishops; the patriarch of Aquilea’s case, etc