Summis desiderantes affectibus (“Desiring with supreme ardor”) was a papal bull issued by Pope Innocent VIII on December 5, 1484, condemning witchcraft. Today, the bull is often seen as a catalyst for the witch hunts that swept through Europe.
Pope Innocent VIII issued the bull at the request of Heinrich Kramer, a German Dominican inquisitor, after local German church authorities refused to assist him in prosecuting cases of witchcraft. These authorities argued that the letter of deputation Kramer possessed did not specifically designate where the inquisitors could operate, making it legally impossible for them to exercise their functions in those areas. The papal bull resolved this by explicitly naming the dioceses of Mainz, Cologne, Trier, Salzburg, and Bremen as areas where the inquisitors could carry out their work. Some scholars interpret the bull as “clearly political,” rooted in jurisdictional disputes between local German Catholic clergy and members of the Inquisition, who were more directly accountable to the pope.
The bull acknowledged the existence of witches and authorized the Inquisition to proceed with “correcting, imprisoning, punishing, and chastising” such individuals “according to their deserts.” It echoed Kramer’s claim that an outbreak of witchcraft and heresy had occurred in the Rhine River valley, particularly in the bishoprics of Mainz, Cologne, and Trier, as well as Salzburg and Bremen. The accusations included specific acts of witchcraft and heretical behavior.
The bull urged local authorities to cooperate with the inquisitors, threatening excommunication for those who impeded their work. However, despite this warning, the bull failed to secure the level of support Kramer had anticipated. This led him to retire and compile his views on witchcraft in the Malleus Maleficarum, published in 1487. The Malleus falsely claimed approval from the University of Cologne and sensationally stigmatized witchcraft, presenting it as a crime worse than heresy and displaying a notable animus against women.
Summis desiderantes affectibus was published as part of the preface to the Malleus Maleficarum, implying papal approval for the book. However, the Malleus was officially condemned by the Church three years later, and modern scholars consider Kramer’s claims of endorsement to be misleading.
The bull, which blended spiritual and secular concerns regarding witchcraft, is often viewed as paving the way for the witch hunts of the early modern period. However, its similarities to earlier papal documents, its emphasis on preaching, and its lack of a formal dogmatic declaration complicate this interpretation.
