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Published: 17??

Total Pages: 130

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An account of the case of Froilán Díaz, Dominican friar and Spanish theologian, who ascended to the position of confessor to King Charles II of Spain upon the death of the previous confessor, Pedro Matilla. Díaz, a professor of theology at the University of Alcalá and politically unaligned, found himself at the center of a power struggle for control of the Spanish throne. The case outlines how he took over from Matilla, the almost immediate intrigues against him and plots to overthrown him, and his lengthy and secret imprisonment by the Inquisition while his trial bogged down in a battle over jurisdiction between the Spanish crown and the Vatican. The case ends with his eventual acquittal, restitution to his former position, and the reparation of his lost salary. Of particular interest are the details of Díaz's involvement in efforts to glean insight into the seemingly "bewitched' nature of the physically and mentally impaired king, Charles II, by conducting clairvoyance rituals with individuals supposedly possessed by demons.