It so happened that heretics, or rather punishments of heretics, are most often remembered in connection with the Vedic processes and the Inquisition - phenomena characteristic of European countries: mainly Italy, Southern France, Spain and Portugal. But it would be a mistake to believe that in lands beyond the control of the Pope, dissenters could feel safe. Public burning of the heretic - the most common punishment - was practiced in Byzantium and in Russia.
The birth of heresies
From Greek, the word "heresy" is translated as "direction" or "school." At the dawn of Christianity, in the 1-2 centuries BC. e., a single cult system has not yet developed. There were many communities, sects, each of which in its own way interpreted certain aspects of the doctrine: trinity, the nature of Christ and Our Lady, eschatology, hierarchical structure of the church. In the 4th century AD e. Emperor Constantine put an end to this : without the support of secular authorities, the official church, then still weak, could not have unified the cult. Heresy first declared Arianism, then Nestorianism. Donatists and Montanists were persecuted. Church hierarchs of the early Middle Ages, guided by New Testament epistles, gave this concept a negative connotation. However, the burning of heretics at the stake in those days was not yet commonplace.
In heretical teachings of the beginning of a new era there was no vivid political or social context. But over time, believers began to criticize the existing church hierarchy, the cooperation of the church with secular authority, the enrichment of priests and their hypocrisy.
Qatar
In the 11th-13th centuries, bonfires flamed throughout Europe. The burning of the heretic began to appear to church hierarchs as the easiest way to get rid of the opposition. The split of the Church into Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) in the 11th century served as an incentive for the emergence of new teachings. The most famous ideological opponents of the Catholic Church were the Cathars, or "pure". To a large extent, their developed theological system was based on pagan traditions, in particular on Manichaeism, which implied the equality of the forces of God and the devil. The Qatari world was not considered perfect. They criticized state institutions, the acquisitiveness of clergy and openly called the Pope the servant of the devil. The Cathars preached asceticism, virtue, and industriousness. They created their own church organization and enjoyed great authority. Sometimes the word "Cathars" unites representatives of other teachings that have similar features: Waldenses, Bogomil, Pavlikian. In 1209, Pope Innocent III took the Cathars seriously, inviting neighboring feudal lords to eradicate heretics and take their lands.
How to fight heretics
The clergy preferred to deal with the dissenting hands of worldly rulers. Most often they did not mind, because they themselves were afraid of excommunication. In 1215, Innocent III created a special organ of the church court - the Inquisition. Workers (mainly from the Dominican order - “Dogs of the Lord”) should have sought out heretics, compiled charges against them, interrogated and punished.
The trial of the heretic was usually accompanied by torture (butcher art during this period received an incentive to develop, and an impressive arsenal of torture tools was formed). But regardless of how the inquiry ended, the sentencing and its execution should have been carried out by a secular person. What sentence was most often pronounced? Heretic burning with a large crowd of people. Why exactly the burning? Because the execution had to be such that the Church could not be convicted of bloodshed. In addition, the flame was endowed with cleaning properties.
Autodafe
Heretic's burning was an act of intimidation. Therefore, as many people of all classes should have been present at the execution. The ceremony was scheduled for the holiday and was called "auto da-fe" ("act of faith"). On the eve they decorated the square, built stands for noble gentlemen and public toilets. It was customary to wrap church bells with wet cloth: they sounded more muffled and “mournful”. In the morning, the priest celebrated Mass, the Inquisitor delivered a sermon, and schoolchildren sang hymns. Finally, the sentences were announced. Then they were carried out. The burning of the heretic was one of the most severe punishments carried out as part of the autodaph. Also practiced: penance (for example, pilgrimage), life-long wearing shameful signs, public scourging, imprisonment.
But if the accusation was serious, the convict had practically no chance. Due to torture, the "heretic" in most cases admitted his guilt. After that he was crushed and burned a corpse tied to a pillar. If, before the execution itself, he suddenly began to deny what he had said the day before, he would be burnt alive, sometimes over low heat (raw firewood was specially prepared for this).
Who else was equated with heretics?
If one of the relatives of the convicted person did not come to execution, they could suspect him of aiding. Therefore, auto-da-fi has always been popular. Despite the fact that almost anyone could be in the place of the convict, the crowd mocked the "heretics" and showered them with insults.
The burning threatened not only the political and ideological opponents of the Church and the feudal lords. Massively executed women on charges of witchcraft (it was convenient to blame them for all sorts of disasters), scientists - mainly astronomers, philosophers and doctors (since the church relied on the ignorance of the people and was not interested in disseminating knowledge), inventors (for attempts to improve ideally arranged by God of the world), runaway monks, Gentiles (especially Jews), preachers of other religions. In fact, they could condemn anyone and for anything. We also note that the church took the property of the executed.
Church and heretics in Russia
The Old Believers became the most important enemies of the Orthodox Church. But the split only occurred in the 17th century, and until that time, representatives of various heresies of an ideological and social sense were actively burned throughout the country: strigolniks, Judaizers, and others. They also executed for keeping heretical books, blasphemy against the church, Christ and the Virgin, sorcery, and escapes from the monastery. In general, Muscovy differed little from Spain in terms of the fanaticism of local “inquisitors," except that the executions were more diverse and had a national specificity: for example, the burning of the heretic was carried out not on a pillar, but in a log house.
The Russian Orthodox Church only in 1971 recognized its errors regarding the Old Believers. But she did not bring repentance to other "heretics".