Posted on 11/10/2010 5:23:33 PM PST by Gamecock
Following is a partial list of Papal Bulls and other relevant documents regarding the Jewish question, illustrating both the partial protection offered the Jews at different times and the institutionalization of Anti-Semitism.
Where protection was offered, it was often done in a condescending manner, asserting the Christian duty to have mercy on the Jews even though they were collectively guilty of killing Jesus (or in modern times, "forgiving" the Jews for killing Jesus) or was simply rescinding previous decrees. Catholic persecution of Jews - and protection - began in the Middle Ages, but the persecution continued and was intensified well after the Middle Ages, notably in the Inquisition and in the formation and regulation of ghettos, which began in the 1500s, well after the end of the Middle Ages. The Papal bulls and encyclicals that advanced and supported anti-Semitism included the following sorts of decrees:
Many believed and hoped that Catholic persecution of Jews had ended in the period of Pope John XXIII. Recent Bulls and Encyclicals of Pope Benedict XVI that reinstate anti-Semitic prayers and Catholic societies do not augur well.
Pius V was perhaps the worst of the anti-Semitic Popes. He was nonetheless canonized and the canonization was not rescinded.
In addition to the actual regulations depriving Jews of livelihood or home or forcing conversions, the Bulls often were prefaced with language of racist incitement that indicated the attitude of the Catholic Church to Jews.
The Bull Cum Nimis Absurdum ("How completely absurd") of Paul IV, 1555, which created the ghetto of Rome, began with these words:
As it is completely absurd and improper in the utmost that the Jews, who through their own fault were condemned by God to eternal servitude,
The Bull
Hebraeorum gens ("The Jewish Race") 1569, of Saint Pius V, which expelled Jews from some of the Papal states, began with these words:
"The Jewish people fell from the heights because of their faithlessness and condemned their Redeemer to a shameful death. Their godlessness has assumed such forms that, for the salvation of our own people, it becomes necessary to prevent their disease. Besides usury, through which Jews everywhere have sucked dry the property of impoverished Christians, they are accomplices of thieves and robbers; and the most damaging aspect of the matter is that they allure the unsuspecting through magical incantations, superstition, and witchcraft to the Synagogue of Satan and boast of being able to predict the future. We have carefully investigated how this revolting sect abuses the name of Christ and how harmful they are to those whose life is threatened by their deceit. On account of these and other serious matters, and because of the gravity of their crimes which increase day to day more and more, We order that, within 90 days, all Jews in our entire earthly realm of justice -- in all towns, districts, and places -- must depart these regions."
The above is quoted in modern anti-Semitic works, including Catholic publications and the Stormfront Website.
To the modern reader, the Papal bulls seem to present a conflicting picture. Sometimes privileges were revoked and sometimes extended. Often the same Pope would order protection of the Jews from bodily harm but enact discriminatory laws of various kinds. Thus, the church would encourage hatred of Jews, but then it would discourage violence against Jews. For Catholic theology there was no contradiction. The role of the Jews was to serve as an example of the wages of sin to Christians. Therefore, the Jews must be tortured and ridiculed, but never killed.
The documents listed below are Papal Bulls unless otherwise noted. The Bulls get their titles from the initial words, generally the first three words, of the text of the document, which are known as the incipit. Note that there may be several Bulls with the same title by different Popes, and on entirely different subjects.
Explanation of terms:
"Jus Gasaga" - a corruption of "Jus Chazaka" - the law of the right of tenancy of Jews, usually in ghetto homes.
Catechumen - a person being taught the Catechism, a new convert. The Bulls called for a special tax on Jews, to be used to support the catechumens. The house of Catechumens in Rome was used as an instrument for forced conversion, and its victims included the chief Rabbi of Rome.
Neophyte - a new convert.
The sources generally do not distinguish between Bulls, encyclicals and other documents of more limited circulation.
Pope |
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Bull/Document |
Date |
Subject |
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Gregory I |
Sicut judaeis non |
598 |
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A letter, supplemented by others, provided limited protection of Jews. "Just as no freedom may be granted to the Jews in their communities to exceed the limits legally set for them, so they should in no way suffer through a violation of their rights" The letter contained the phrase "Sicut Judaeis" - and thus to the Jews. Gregory forbade Jews to have Christian slaves, and encouraged conversions. The measures of protection along with limitations and persecution, and even the wording of Sicut iudaeis were repeated in subsequent bulls and letters of various popes. It became the model for treatment of Jews. |
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Calixtus II |
Sicut Judaeis |
c. 1120 |
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Probably the first formal version of Sicut Judaies. Reiterates protection of the Jews in the wake of the persecutions of the first Crusade. |
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Innocent III |
Post miserabile |
|
Aug. 1198 |
Addressed to prelates of Europe and dealt with the need for another Crusade. Suspended payment of interest and principal to Jewish lenders for crusaders. Since many did not return, the debt was effectively cancelled. |
|
Innocent III |
|
Etsi non displiceat |
1205 |
Addressed to King of France. Accuses Jews of usury, blasphemy, arrogance, employing Christian slaves and murder. Urges king to put an end to the "evils." |
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Honorius III |
Sicut judaeis non debet esse licentia |
Nov. 7, 1217 |
Forbids forced baptism of Jews or molestation. |
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Honorius III |
|
In general consilio |
1218 |
To archbishop of Toledo, requires enforcement of 4th Lateran Council decisions that Jews must wear special clothing and pay tithes to the local churches. |
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Honorius III |
Ad nostram Noveritis audientiam |
April 29, 1221 |
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Jews are obliged to carry a distinctive badge and forbidden to hold public office. |
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Gregory IX |
Sufficere debuerat perfidioe judoerum perfidia |
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March 5, 1233 |
Jews forbidden to employ Christian servants. |
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Gregory IX |
|
Etsi Judeorum |
1233 |
To prelates of France, urged prevention of physical violence against Jews. |
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Gregory IX |
Si vera sunt |
1239 |
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To kings and prelates of Spain and France - orders seizure of Talmud and other Jewish books and examination for blasphemy against Jesus. These books were regularly burned or censored. |
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Innocent IV |
Impia judoerum perfidia |
May 9, 1244 |
French King ordered to burn the Talmud. Jews forbidden to employ Christian nurses. |
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Innocent IV |
Lachrymabilem Judaeorum |
1247 |
To German prelates; orders an end to persecution of Jews and declares that the blood libel accusation is false.
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Clement IV |
|
Turbato corde |
July 26, 1267 |
Christians forbidden to embrace Judaism |
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Gregory X |
Turbato corde |
March 1, 1274 |
|
(Identical to previous.) |
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Nicolas III |
Vineam Sorec |
|
Aug. 4, 1278 |
Addressed to orders of friars - Preaching to the Jews is encouraged and friars are to be specially trained for this purpose. Also known as Vineam Soreth. |
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Nicolas IV |
Turbato corde |
Sept. 5, 1288 |
Christians who embrace Judaism |
|
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John XXII |
Ex Parte Vestra |
Aug. 12, 1317 |
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Relapse of converts. |
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John XXII |
Cum sit absurdum |
|
June 19, 1320 |
Converted Jews need not be despoiled. |
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Clement VI |
|
Quamvis Perfidiam |
September 26, 1348 |
Tries in vain to dispel the superstition that Jews are responsible for Black Death by poisoning the wells |
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Urban V |
Sicuti judaeis non debet |
June 7, 1365 |
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Forbidden to molest Jews or to force them to baptism. |
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Benedict XIII |
|
Etsi doctoribus gentium |
1415 |
A collection of anti-Jewish church legislation that served as an inspiration to other Popes. |
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Martin V |
Sedes apostolica |
June 3, 1425 |
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Jews obliged to wear distinctive badge. |
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Eugene IV |
Dudum ad nostram audientiam |
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Aug. 4, 1442 |
Forbade Jews to live with Christians or fill public functions, etc. |
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Calixtus III |
|
Si ad reprimendos |
May 28, 1456 |
Confirmed the preceding Bull of Eugene IV forbidding Jews to live with Christians. |
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Sixtus IV |
Numquam dubitavimus |
1482 |
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To Ferdinand of Aragon, to appoint inquisitors to extirpate heresy and investigate backsliding of Jewish converts to Christianity. The Spanish Inquisition and expulsion of the Jews from Spain followed. |
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Paul III |
|
Cupientes judaeos |
March 21, 1542 |
Privileges in favor of neophytes. |
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Paul III |
Illius, qui pro dominici |
Feb. 19, 1543 |
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Establishment of a monastery for catechumens and neophytes. |
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Jules III |
Pastoris aeternivices |
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Aug. 31, 1554 |
Tax in favor of neophytes |
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Paul IV |
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July 14, 1555 |
Jews forbidden to live in common with Christians, to practice any industry, etc. |
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Paul IV |
Dudum postquam |
March 23, 1556 |
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Tax in favor of neophytes |
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Pius IV |
Cum inter ceteras |
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Jan. 26, 1562 |
Bull relative to monastery of catechumens. |
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Pius IV |
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Dudum e felicis recordationis |
Feb. 27, 1562 |
Bull confirming that of Paul IV. |
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Pius V |
Romanus Pontifex |
April 19, 1566 |
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Bull confirming that of Paul IV |
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Pius V |
Sacrosanctae catholicae ecclesiae |
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Nov. 29, 1566 |
Bull relating to convent of neophytes |
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Pius V |
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Cum nos nuper |
Jan. 19, 1567 |
Jews are forbidden to own real estate |
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Pius V |
Hebraeorum gens |
Feb. 26, 1569 |
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Accuses Jews of many evils including magic. Orders expulsion of Jews from Church States except Rome and Ancona. |
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Gregory XIII |
Vices ejus nos |
|
Sept. 1, 1577 |
Obligatory preaching of Christian sermons to Jews;. Creation of college of neophytes. |
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Gregory XIII |
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Antiqua judaeorum improbitas |
July 1, 1581 |
Against blasphemers. |
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Gregory XIII |
Sancta Mater Ecclesiae |
Sept. 1, 1584 |
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Obligatory preaching of Christian sermons to Jews;100 men and 50 women must be sent every Saturday to listen to conversion sermons delivered in a church near the ghetto. |
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Sixtus V |
Christiana pietas |
|
Oct. 22, 1586 |
Privileges granted to Jews by relief of former edicts. These were reversed. by Clemen VIII. |
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Clement VIII |
Cum saepe accidere |
Feb. 28, 1592 |
Jews of Avignon forbidden to sell new goods. |
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Clement VIII |
Caeca et obdurata |
Feb. 25, 1593 |
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Confirmation of the Bull of Paul III. Jews forbidden to dwell outside of Rome, Ancona, and Avignon. |
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Clement VIII |
Cum Haebraeorum malitia |
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Feb. 28, 1593 |
It is forbidden to read the Talmud. |
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Paul V |
|
Apostolicae servitutis |
July 31, 1610 |
Regulars (of monks) obliged to learn Hebrew. |
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Paul V |
Exponi nobis nuper fecistis |
Aug. 7, 1610 |
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Bull concerning the dowries of Jewish women. |
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Urban VIII |
Sedes apostolica |
|
April 22, 1625 |
Concerning heretical Portuguese Jews. |
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Urban VIII |
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Injuncti nobis |
Aug. 20, 1626 |
Privileges granted to the monastery of catechumens |
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Urban VIII |
Cum sicut acceptimus |
Oct. 18, 1635 |
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Obligation to feed poor Jews imprisoned for debt. |
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Urban VIII |
Cum allias piae |
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March 17, 1636 |
Synagogues of the Duchies of Ferarri and Urban, to pay a tax of 10 ecus. |
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Alexander VII |
|
Verbi aeterni |
Dec. 1, 1657 |
Bull relating to rights of neophytes regarding jus gasaga.(rights of tenancy in the ghetto) |
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Alexander VII |
Ad ea per quae |
Nov. 15, 1658 |
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Jus Gasaga (rights of tenancy in the ghetto) |
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Alexander VII |
Ad apostolicae dignitatis |
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May 23, 1662 |
Concordat between the college of neophytes and German college. |
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Alexander VII |
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Illius, qui illuminat |
March 6, 1663 |
Privileges favoring the fraternities of neophytes. |
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Alexander VIII |
Animarum saluti |
March 30, 1690 |
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Bull relating to the neophytes in Indies. |
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Innocent XII |
Ad radicitus submovendum |
|
Aug. 31, 1692 |
Abolition of special jurisdiction |
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Clement XI |
|
Propagandae per unicersum |
March 11, 1704 |
Confirmation and extension of Paul III regarding neophytes. |
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Clement XI |
Essendoci stato rappresentato |
Jan. 21, 1705 |
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Powers of Vicar of Rome in jurisdiction of catechumens and neophytes |
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Clement XI |
Salvatoris nostri vices |
|
Jan. 2, 1712 |
Transfer to "Pii Operai" the work of the catechumens. |
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Innocent XIII |
Ex injuncto nobis |
Jan. 18, 1724 |
Prohibits sale of new objects. |
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Benedict XIII |
Nuper, pro parte dilectorum |
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Jan. 8, 1726 |
Establishment of dowries for young girl neophytes. |
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Benedict XIII |
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Emanavit nuper |
Feb. 14, 1727 |
Necessary conditions for imposing baptism on a Jew. |
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Benedict XIII |
Alias emanarunt |
March 21, 1729 |
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Forbidding the sale of new goods. |
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Benedict XIV |
Postremomens |
|
Feb. 28, 1747 |
The baptism of Jews |
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Benedict XIV |
|
Apostolici Ministerii munus |
Sept. 16, 1747 |
Right of repudiation of neophytes. |
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Benedict XIV |
Singulari Nobis consoldtioni |
Feb. 9, 1749 |
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Marriages between Jews and Christians. |
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Benedict XIV |
Elapso proxime Anno |
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Feb. 20, 1751 |
Concerning Jewish heretics. |
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Benedict XIV |
|
Probe te meminisse |
Dec. 15, 1751 |
Baptism of Jewish children |
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Benedict XIV |
Feb. 22, 1755 |
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Martyrdom of a child by Jews. A blood libel concerning the murder of the child Andreas Oxner or Anderl von Rinn (Andreas of Rinn ) by Jews that supposedly took place in 1462 in Rinn near Innsbruck. Confirms the blood libel as factual. The Bull reviews the cases of ritual murder by Jews, which it explicitly upholds as a fact, and establishes the beatifcation but not the canonization of Andreas of Rinn and Simon of Trent
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that’s just for starters until they get warmed up.
Gee I must be reading different posts.
Many of the Bulls cited are economic in nature, others specify protections for Jews. So if you think by posting these you are proving some sort of murderous anti Semitism by the Church you have failed.
This is some of the anti Semitism in one of Pope Gregory X’s encyclical.
“Inasmuch as the Jews are not able to bear witness against the Christians, we decree furthermore that the testimony of Christians against Jews shall not be valid unless there is among these Christians some Jew who is there for the purpose of offering testimony.
[the Church council at Carthage, as early as 419, had forbidden Jews to bear witness against Christians; Justinian’s law of 531 repeats this prohibition. Gregory X here — in accordance with the medieval legal principle that every man has the right to be judged by his peers — insists that Jews can only be condemned if there are Jewish as well as Christian witnesses against them. A similar law to protect Jews was issued before 825 by Louis the Pious (814 - 840) of the Frankish Empire.]
Since it happens occasionally that some Christians lose their children, the Jews are accused by their enemies of secretly carrying off and killing these same Christian children and of making sacrifices of the heart and blood of these very children. It happens, too, that the parents of these very children, or some other Christian enemies of these Jews, secretly hide these very children in order that they may be able to injure these Jews, and in order that they may be able to extort from them a certain amount of money by redeeming them from their straits. [Following the lead of Innocent IV, 1247, Gregory attacks the ritual murder charge at length.]
And most falsely do these Christians claim that the Jews have secretly and furtively carried away these children and killed them, and that the Jews offer sacrifices from the heart and the blood of these children, since their law in this matter precisely and expressly forbids Jews to sacrifice, eat, or drink the blood, or to eat the flesh of animals having claws. This has been demonstrated many times at our court by Jews converted to the Christian faith: nevertheless very many Jews are often seized and detained unjustly because of this.
We decree, therefore, that Christians need not be obeyed against Jews in a case or situation of this type, and we order that Jews seized under such a silly pretext be freed from imprisonment, and that they shall not be arrested henceforth on such a miserable pretext, unless — which we do not believe — they be caught in the commission of the crime. We decree that no Christian shall stir up anything new against them, but that they should be maintained in that status and position in which they were in the time of our predecessors, from antiquity till now.
We decree in order to stop the wickedness and avarice of bad men, that no one shall dare to devastate or to destroy a cemetery of the Jews or to dig up human bodies for the sake of getting money. [The Jews had to pay a ransom before the bodies of their dead were restored to them.] Moreover, if any one, after having known the content of this decree, should — which we hope will not happen — attempt audaciously to act contrary to it, then let him suffer punishment in his rank and position, or let him be punished by the penalty of excommunication, unless he makes amends for his boldness by proper recompense. Moreover, we wish that only those Jews who have not attempted to contrive anything toward the destruction of the Christian faith be fortified by support of such protection ...
Given at Orvieto by the hand of the Magister John Lectator, vice-chancellor of the Holy Roman Church, on the 7th of October, n the first indiction [cycle of fifteen years], in the year 1272 of the divine incarnation, in the first year of the pontificate of our master, the Pope Gregory X.”
Anyone who can´t see the difference between the Christianity of Europe and The United States is blind and, in my opinion, pretty ignorant.
Anyone who can´t see the difference between the Christianity of Europe and The United States is blind and, in my opinion, pretty ignorant
Their offspring developed a sense of freedom not only as far as the government was concerned, but also where the church was concerned.
Maybe they took to heart what Jesus said
(You shall know the truth and the truth and the truth shall set you free)
However, many people in government are doing every thing they can to dispel that idea.
BTTT
Since this seems to have come up once again, a BTTT seems appropriate.
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