The Roman Catholic Church and their story of love and compassion. Inquisition chair or witch chair. This is one of many devices used by Catholics from 1478 to 1834 during the era of the Spanish Inquisition.

It was used to get confessions from women accused of witchcraft or people accused of blasphemy. After confessing, the accused were burned alive or beheaded.

From my research it appears that only the females were burned alive because they also were perverts. The cloth burned quickly exposing them.