I, the Fiscal of this Holy Office, appear before your Excellency, and
accuse criminally, Leonardo Phelipe, needlemaker, born in the village of
Agullon, in the bishopric of Gens, kingdom of France, and an inhabitant
of the city of Tarragona, attached to the secret prison of this
Inquisition, and now present, inasmuch as he, being a baptized and
confirmed Christian, and enjoying all the graces and immunities which
such persons may and ought to enjoy, not having the fear of God, his
own conscience, or the justice administered by your Excellency before
his eyes, has committed offences against our Holy Catholic Faith, by
blaspheming and denying God our Lord, seeking favor and help from
devils, and doing other things in the manner following.
1. He has many times been declared excommunicated in Barcelona,
Tarragona, and other places, for not confessing in Lent according to his
duty. And while he resided in the parish of St Thomas, in Valencia, he
could not be persuaded to confess, although he received many admonitions
to that effect from the rector of the said parish, thus remaining
excommunicated, careless of the salvation of his soul.
2. Certain persons of his acquaintance rebuking him for not confessing,
he blasphemed God and the Saints with such fury and malice that he
appeared like a demoniac. He wears no rosary. Some one threatening him
with a punishment from the Inquisition, he replied that he did not care
for the Inquisition, and that he would not confess; also, that he wanted
nothing from God which the devil could give him.
3. On Passion Week, during the last Lent, some person was conducting him
to the Jesuits of the aforesaid city of Tarragona, for the purpose of
confession, out of charity towards him, and although it was in his power
to comply with the precept in this instance, he refused, and fled from
the church, to the great scandal of the confessor who was there to hear
him, as well as other persons.
4. He is accustomed to deny God, and swear ‘by the head of God,’ and
‘the soul and body of Christ,’ repeating it commonly many times a day;
also declaring that his living, and everything he gets, comes in the
name of the devil and not of God. Some one rebuking him for this, he
said that he believed what he pleased, and as to hearing mass on the
days prescribed, he would take it upon trust; that the preachers said
just what they chose, and did nothing but disturb the people.
5. He says that he does not fear God, and that if he knew there was a
tavern in the other world, he should not care if he died, although his
body were burnt.
6. I accuse him of having said that a man ought not to tell his sins to
the confessor, and that it was nonsense for a man to tell anything but
what he pleased. This being a proposition maintained by the false and
reprobate sect of Martin Luther, and the prisoner belonging to France, a
country where this sect prevails, it is to be presumed that he belongs
to it.
7. Furthermore, it is to be supposed that the prisoner has committed
many other offences against our Holy Catholic Faith, and uttered other
blasphemies and heretical speeches, as well as known that other persons
have done the same, all which he conceals like a bad Christian. Of this
I intend to accuse him more formally. At present I do it in general
terms, and although he has been exhorted by your Excellency to declare
the truth, he has not done it, but has perjured himself.
For which reasons I request and supplicate your Excellency to admit my
charges as proved, or such a portion of the same as shall suffice for
the ends of justice in a definitive sentence, or whatever measure may be
taken, and to declare my accusation fully proved, and the said Leonardo
Phelipe guilty of the abovementioned offences, condemning him to the
heaviest punishments by law thereto affixed, and executing them upon his
person and goods, by turning him over to the secular arm of justice, as
a punishment to himself and a terror to others. And I request that if
necessary, he may be put to the torture, and that the same be continued
and repeated till he confess the whole truth of himself and others.
And I formally swear that I do not present this accusation out of
malice, but solely to accomplish the ends of justice, which I request at
the hands of your Excellency.
DAMIAN FONOLLEDA, _Sec’y_.
* * * * *
The above accusation having been presented and read, the said Leonardo
Phelipe was formally sworn to declare the truth in answer thereto, and
it being read over, article by article, he answered as follows.
To the head of the accusation he answered, that he was the same Leonardo
Phelipe whom the Fiscal accused, but that he had not committed any
offences against our Holy Catholic Faith, nor denied our Lord, although
he had sometimes sworn by his name.
To the first article he answered, that he had always confessed like
other Christians, and in Valencia had not suffered a year to pass
without doing so, and that he had never been excommunicated on this
account.
To the second article he answered, that he denied it, for it was not
true that he had no rosary. He made use of one in his prison eleven
times, and now exhibited the same in his hands; which I, the Secretary,
testify.
To the third article he answered, that he denied it, for it was not
true; and that during the said Passion Week, in the last Lent, he had
confessed in the convent of St Francisco, in Tarragona; that he complied
with the precepts of the Church, as he had stated in his first audience,
and that this could be shown by the certificate of confession found upon
him at the time of his imprisonment.
To the fourth article he answered, that he denied it, for it was not
true.
To the fifth article he answered, that he denied it; that he trusted in
God, and a heretic could not say such things.
To the sixth article he answered, that he denied it, for it was not
true, and he could not imagine how such testimony could be borne against
him.
To the seventh article he answered, that he had not committed any
offence against our Holy Catholic Faith, nor knew that any other
persons had committed offences, and that he had declared the entire
truth and had not perjured himself.
To the conclusion of the accusation, he answered that even if he were
put to the torture he could say nothing more.
The above is the truth according to the oath of the prisoner, and having
been read, was declared by him to be correctly recorded. Not being able
to write, I, the Inquisitor sign the same.