Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV, originally named Gian Pietro Carafa, served as the head of the Roman Catholic Church from 1555 to 1571. He is known for his vigorous role in the Counter-Reformation, a movement aimed at reforming the Church and countering the rise of Protestantism. Under his papacy, the Congregation of the Inquisition, which had been established under Pope Paul III, expanded its scope beyond Italy to include Spain. This expansion was marked by a strong focus on enforcing orthodoxy, particularly under King Philip II of Spain, leading to the execution of thousands accused of heresy.
One of Paul IV's significant contributions was the creation of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum in 1559, a list of prohibited books deemed dangerous to faith and morals. This index restricted access to specific literature for Catholics, requiring special permission to read or possess such texts. The last edition of the Index was published in 1948, and it was not until 1966 that it was declared nonbinding by the Church. Paul IV's papacy is characterized by both his commitment to reform within the Church and the controversies surrounding the methods employed to maintain doctrinal purity.
Subject Terms
Pope Paul IV
Identification: Pontiff of the Roman Catholic church (1555-1559)
Significance: A member of the original Inquisition, Paul intensified Roman Catholic censorship and created the Index Librorum Prohibitorum
Cardinal Gian Pietro Carafa took the name Paul IV upon ascending to the papacy in 1555. He soon introduced significant repressive elements into the Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation, the crusade within the Church to reform itself and to oppose the spread of Protestantism. In 1542 Pope Paul III had established the Congregation of the Inquisition (also called the Holy Office), and then appointed Carafa and five other cardinals to the newly formed institution.
For a little more than a decade the activities of the Congregation of the Inquisition were almost exclusively confined to Italy and concerned mostly with theological questions of an academic nature. But when Carafa became pope, the geographical scope of the Inquisition was expanded. In Spain especially, Paul’s vigorous pursuit of reform earned him the enmity of Protestants and Catholics alike. Here the Inquisition, although implemented by churchmen, became an instrument of King Philip II for imposing orthodoxy upon his Spanish subjects. In the process, thousands of reputed heretics were executed.
Paul also ordered the Congregation of the Inquisition to compile a list of books considered dangerous to faith and morals. In 1559 he published the first Index Librorum Prohibitorum. Catholics were forbidden to possess, read, or disseminate books on the Index without special permission. The last edition of the Index was published in 1948, but not until 1966 was it declared nonbinding by the church.