It is relatively easy to find estimates for the number of people killed during the Catholic Inquisition; one just needs to check the Wikipedia page , to see several estimates of the number of people killed. However, there are several historical references to Protestant Inquisition-style tribunals, e.g. in Scotland. Furthermore, there are also historical references showing that even among different Protestant currents, Protestants were killed . I am looking for estimates of how many Christians (Protestants and Catholics) were killed in newly Protestant countries. Please provide references in support of your answer.

[According to Martiniz A. A.](https://www.theologie-naturwissenschaften.de/en/dialogue-between-theology-and-science/editorials/giordano-bruno-en/) , the main accusation of Giordano Bruno from the inquisition is simply the ideas of many-worlds: No other accusation was invoked even half as much. [In another reference](https://notevenpast.org/giordano-bruno-and-the-spirit-that-moves-the-earth/) Martinez goes on to describe the horror of the Catholic’s response: > “First, Bruno had said in nine books that many worlds exist: not just the Earth, but the Moon, the planets and the stars: “innumerably many worlds.” Apparently he didn’t know it was a heresy to claim that “innumerably many worlds exist.” This belief had been denounced as a heresy by many authorities including Saint Philaster, Saint Jerome, Saint Augustine, and Pope Gregory XIII. Catholics were horrified by this idea, because if many worlds exist then Jesus Christ would have to be born and crucified in each of those worlds to offer salvation to the beings in such worlds.” If we now were in the clothes of the Inquisition, we could examine the idea, as the devil's advocate, that the earth actually moved around the sun and that the sun then became the center. If the Earth were not the center of the world, one might argue that the central place might also be possessed by another planet. Here then immediately comes Martinez'question whether really Jesus was also crucified on that planet. Being at the center also means a hierarchically advantageous status, and the idea is unreasonable that beings (humans) have experiences of Jesus that are completely undocumented in the Bible. (Even Copernicus' system with the sun in the center passes Jesus out into orbit.) Although I see no reference to this, I wonder of it is close to conceivable that the theory of many extraterrestrial worlds constituted a blasphemy solely because of the inherent denial of Jesus also as a spatial central figure in Christianity. Edit: Let me add that if cosmology had been the only concern from the inquisition, Bruno might have been included in the excuse extended to Galileo. Therefore it is obvious that traditional theological errors (regarding his behavior as a priest, his views on Trinity, Virgin Mary etc.) must have had some weight in Bruno’s verdict. Unfortunately the Inquisition protocols do not contain explicit reason for judgment, where proof is compared to a standard for accusations neither individually or taken together.

Note: This question was an honest search for a Catholic view not an accusation or attack. If I had written an attack it would be a 1000 times more severe and to a specific point. The defensive response in some of the comments leads me to agree that I should have specified the question more narrowly. However I had to ask my real question to get the answer I was looking for. I will now have to also vote to close the question as it seems a little to complicated for the stack exchange guidelines. Thanks to the accepted answer, and the considerable effort it takes to provide one. I know how it feels to he on the other end, and sometimes this community gives better quality answers than can be obtained elsewhere and the person making the question can be very ungrateful if it conflicts with their own faith. ---------- I have never encountered a Protestant leader who believed at any point in history that the church should take up arms, acting as a sort of temporary civil power, and engage in military conflict or apply the death penalty to heretics. I'm sure there might be some odd exception to the rule but, in general, Protestant churches hold separation of church and state. Where there may have been any direct official church involvement in any such action in old Lutheran or Anglican or whatever churches, Protestants in general would unanimously denounce those actions, as the church is separated from state functions. Some Protestants think it's acceptable as a 'citizen' to support the government on civil grounds to war, or even to apply the death penalty, but not as a church. At least this is the most common Protestant view. However, I was surprised when I looked up the Catholic Encyclopedia on the Inquisition. It more or less describes it as something that was necessary for the church to do at the time and does not seem to be opposed to that period when Popes led military conflicts and applied death penalties to perceived heretical Christians, even as they took the clear lead. So it really leaves me wondering: Does the Catholic Church still think such things are OK? Is it OK that at times in history, or potentially the future, Catholics will bear the sword and become a civil power rather then a spiritual one only? I really mean **is it considered OK at times to 'take the clear lead' in commanding others to kill people**, as they did when killing people through the crusades and bulls against perceived heretics. I do not mean merely Catholic citizens following their kings or government, but the 'command' of those kings or governments 'to kill.' Does the Catholic church separate church and state or assume it is a state with power to declare war and kill if it seems God's will? I always thought the whole world no longer approved of that, but now am thinking maybe because Catholics can't admit Papal errors they are sort of stuck approving all those ugly things done in the past by their Popes, but am not sure if my instincts are wrong. Maybe Catholics do oppose direct church involvement in killing others. I really am curious to find a reliable answer on this. I would like to know if Protestants and Catholics generally have a different view.

I was wondering who and when was the first person executed on orders of a pope or if there is no name information, when was the first such execution.

>**Related Question** > https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/3547/how-did-the-crusades-impact-modern-christianity - How did the Inquisition impact modern day Christianity own sense of morality and spirituality? - What do these things mean to a person of faith? >The Inquisition, *Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis* (inquiry on heretical perversity), was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy. Inquisition practices were used also on offences against canon law other than heresy. (Wikipedia )

During the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Dominicans and Franciscans were the main church inquisitors. I was wondering if there were other religious orders that, as a whole, opposed the Inquisition. I am not interested in merely individuals within orders who objected, but rather groups as a whole that did so. I have only found mention of an individual monastery in Spain (San Isidro del Campo), not of any religious orders.