> The main reason was that the death penalty was only given to unrepentant or repeat offenders. And even then in their spiritual world view the auto-da-fé was

> The main reason was that the death penalty was only given to unrepentant or repeat offenders. And even then in their spiritual world view the auto-da-fé was a last ditch effort to persuade the condemned to repent. It gave the sinner a taste of the eternal fires awaiting them and time enough to make an act of perfect contrition and be saved from hell.