Friedrich Spee, S.J. Plaque

Product Description

This is our stunning Friedrich Spee, S.J. Plaque. Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld, S.J. (1951-1635) was a Jesuit priest, poet, professor, and opponent of the use of torture in criminal proceedings. Born at Kaiserswerth on the Rhine, he completed his early studies in Cologne, and then entered the Society of Jesus in 1610. He later taught in Trier, Fulda, Wurzburg, Speyer, Worms and Mainz. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1622. In 1624 he began teaching at the University of Paderborn in 1624. He also taught in Speyer, Wesel, Trier and Cologne, and preached in Paderborn, Cologne and Hildesheim. This plaque is a most meaningful gift, for a birthday, first communion, confirmation gift, ordination, ordination anniversary and vow jubilee! Also a perfect “Thank You!” gift for those special donors to your Jesuit institution!

A Solid Bronze Wall Plaque

This solid bronze wall plaque measures 7.9 by 6.3 inches. This plaque is made is such a way that it hangs easily on any wall in study, home, or office. This plaque was designed and cast in Germany by a master bronzesmith of world renown. This is a wonderful gift for that special “Friedrich” in your life.

Friedrich Spee, S.J. – Opponent of Torture in Trials for Witchcraft

Fr. Spee is best remembered as the author of the Goldenes Tugendbuch (The Golden Book of Virtues), the Trutznachtigall (a collection of sacred songs), and, most importantly, the Cautio Criminalis.  The treatise Cautio Criminalis made Fr. Spee the most important and articulate opponent of the witchcraft trials raging in 17th century Germany. Fr. Spee was the first person in his time to speak out forcefully and convincingly against the use of torture in criminal proceedings, especially against “witches.” He may in fact be considered the first to ever give compelling arguments about why torture is not an appropriate or effective way of obtaining truth from someone who is being interrogated under duress and in great pain. Fr. Spee believed in the existence of witches and was not advocating for the immediate abolition of trials for witchcraft. But he did heap great sarcasm on the abuses rampant in the legal proceedings at that time, particularly the use of the rack to force confessions of guilt. He pressed for reform measures, such as a new German imperial law requiring that judges be subject to and liable for damages. If these measures had been carried out, they would have brought a speedy end to the witchcraft trials as they were then being conducted. For more, go to the History/Story tab.

The Cautio Criminalis

The Cautio Criminalis contains 52 questions which Spee attempts to answer. Among his more notable conclusions are:

• (17) That alleged witches should be allowed a lawyer and a legal defense: the enormity of the crime making this right even more important than normal.
• (20) That there is real danger innocents will confess under torture simply to stop the pain.
• (25) That condemning alleged witches for not confessing under torture is absurd. Spee opposed the notion that such silence was itself evidence of sorcery, as this made everyone guilty.
• (27) That torture does not produce truth, since those who wish to stop their own suffering can stop it with either the truth or with lies.
• (44) That denunciations of accomplices by tortured “witches” were of little value: either the tortured person was innocent, in which case she had no accomplices, or she was really in league with the Devil, in which case her denunciations cannot be trusted either.

Spee was particularly concerned about cases where a person was tortured and forced to denounce accomplices, who were then tortured and forced to denounce more accomplices, until everyone was under suspicion:

Many people who incite the Inquisition so vehemently against sorcerers in their towns and villages are not at all aware and do not notice or foresee that once they have begun to clamor for torture, every person tortured must denounce several more. The trials will continue, so eventually the denunciations will inevitably reach them and their families, since, as I warned above, no end will be found until everyone has been burned. (question 15)

Spee was not, however, a skeptic regarding the existence of witches, and opened his work with a declaration that witches are real. However, he was concerned with the fact that innocent people were being killed alongside real witches, as he thought. He argued (question 13) that the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13:24-30 meant that some of the guilty must be allowed freedom, so that the innocent are not condemned either.

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