Which pope tried in 1484 to allow appeals to Rome against the Spanish Inquisition?

The pope who tried in 1484 to preserve appeals to Rome against the Spanish Inquisition was Innocent VIII.

When Innocent VIII became pope in 1484, the Spanish monarchy and the papacy were contesting control over the new Inquisition. The tribunal had been authorized by Rome, but Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile sought to make it answer primarily to the Crown.

Innocent VIII continued efforts to protect the papacy’s appellate authority, allowing or supporting appeals and papal letters for people challenging inquisitorial proceedings. Ferdinand reacted forcefully: a royal decree of December 15, 1484 threatened severe penalties against anyone using papal letters without royal permission.

The episode did not mean that Rome consistently defeated the Spanish Crown. Over time, royal and inquisitorial authorities restricted appeals, and later papal concessions strengthened the institution’s independence from direct Roman supervision. Sixtus IV, Innocent VIII’s predecessor, had also intervened, which is why the two popes are sometimes confused in summaries of the dispute.