Final answer:
The Catholic Church was responsible for burning Albigensian heretics at the stake during the Inquisition. The Catholic Church, especially through the Inquisition, was responsible for the burning of Albigensian heretics, with authorization from Popes like Innocent IV.
Step-by-step explanation:
The responsibility for burning Albigensian heretics at the stake lies with the Catholic Church during the time of the Albigensian Crusade in the 13th century. Pope Gregory IX established the Office of Papal Inquisition to ensure religious conformity and combat heresy. The Inquisition authorized the use of torture, including burning at the stake, as a means to punish and eradicate heretics.
The Catholic Church, especially through the Inquisition, was responsible for the burning of Albigensian heretics, with authorization from Popes like Innocent IV.
The burning of Albigensian heretics at the stake was primarily the responsibility of the Catholic Church, particularly under the auspices of the Inquisition established in the 1230s by Pope Gregory IX. The Inquisition was designed to eradicate heresy and enforce religious conformity within Christendom. In 1252, Pope Innocent IV authorized the use of torture against suspected heretics, which ultimately led some to face execution, commonly by being burned at the stake. Moreover, the incentive to persecute heretics was, unfortunately, increased by the fact that inquisitors could claim the lands and possessions of those condemned.