Final answer:
The correct answer to the student's query is C) Pope Sixtus IV asked inquisitors in Germany in 1484 to intensify the persecution of witchcraft, which marks an important event in the history of the Inquisition and witch hunts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has inquired about a specific event related to the persecution of witches and which Pope was involved. The accurate answer is C) Pope Sixtus IV who, in 1484, issued the papal bull 'Summis desiderantes affectibus', giving the Papal Inquisition the authority to increase efforts in the persecution of witchcraft. This directive was not directed to the Spanish Inquisition specifically but to inquisitors Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, authorizing them to combat witchcraft in Germany, marking an intensification of the witch hunts during that period.
In the 1230s, Pope Gregory IX established an Office of Papal Inquisition to combat heresy using centralized efforts across Western Christendom. Later, in 1252, Pope Innocent IV authorized torture for suspected heretics under the Inquisition. Neither of these events directly concerns the specific query regarding a pope asking not to hinder the persecution of witches.
It is essential to note that these historical events occurred long before the doctrine of papal infallibility was established in 1868, highlighting the evolving nature of the Catholic Church's authority over centuries. The harsh procedures of the Inquisition were driven by a desire for religious uniformity and were underpinned by the confiscation of property and lands from the condemned, providing a material incentive for continued persecution.