Bartolomé Carranza was a leading figure in the Spanish Catholic Church during the 16th century, known for his progressive ideas and reformist sympathies. His arrest on charges of heresy was orchestrated by the Spanish Inquisition, which sought to clamp down on any perceived deviations from strict Catholic doctrine. Carranza, who had served as the Archbishop of Toledo, was seen by some members of the Church as a threat due to his advocacy for reforms within the Church and his sympathy towards some Protestant ideas. The Inquisition’s actions against Carranza were reflective of a broader movement during the Counter-Reformation to root out heresy and consolidate Catholic orthodoxy against the backdrop of the Protestant Reformation. The arrest occurred in Valladolid, a significant cultural and religious hub in Spain, where Carranza's influential works were a part of theological discourse. The authorities accused him of being sympathetic to Protestant beliefs, which he vehemently denied, asserting the importance of reform from within the Church rather than embracing Protestantism.

Carranza’s trial was prolonged and drawn out due to various political and religious pressures. He was subjected to intense scrutiny, with the Inquisition determined to uncover any confessions that would support their allegations. Despite the severity of the charges, scholars and advocates for reform saw Carranza's arrest as a misalignment between the Church's mission to foster sincere spirituality and its approach of coercion and fear. His case became emblematic of the struggle between emerging modernity and the established religious authority of the time. Carranza’s ideas and thoughts ultimately influenced subsequent discussions around reform in the Catholic Church, even amidst his own judicial challenges. The proceedings against him lasted over a decade, with his eventual condemnation casting a long shadow over religious reform efforts in Spain and influencing public sentiment toward the Inquisition’s methods and objectives.