What was the periodic proclamation calling for denunciations of heresy called?

The periodic proclamation calling for denunciations of heresy was called the Edict of Faith.

Inquisitors read the edict publicly in a town or parish after arriving to conduct an investigation. It listed behaviors and beliefs regarded as heretical or contrary to Catholic teaching, then ordered inhabitants to report people suspected of them. Failure to disclose known cases could bring the threat of excommunication.

The edict helped turn local communities into an information network for the tribunal. Denunciations could concern alleged Judaizing, Protestant beliefs, blasphemy, forbidden religious practices or other offenses against Catholic orthodoxy. The accusations were supposed to be investigated, but the system also invited personal grudges and malicious reporting.

The Edict of Faith gradually replaced the earlier Edict of Grace. Unlike the latter, which offered a limited period for people to confess and receive reduced penalties, the Edict of Faith primarily demanded denunciations of others. It should not be confused with an auto-da-fé, the later public ceremony announcing judgments.