Gregory X: Letter on Jews Against the Blood Libel
(1271 - 1276 CE)
Canon law was hostile to Jews in wording, but the
popes also refused to accept popular violence against Jews. The following
letter of Pope Gregory X (1271 -1276) incorporates material from earlier
letters of Innocent III (1198-1216) and Innocent IV (1243-1254). Here
Gregory X opposes the blood libel - the often repeated claim that Jews
killed and ate Christian children. Pope Gregory's letter did not stop
repeated accusations.
Gregory, bishop, servant of the servants of God, extends
greetings and the apostolic benediction to the beloved sons in Christ,
the faithful Christians, to those here now and to those in the future.
Even as it is not allowed to the Jews in their assemblies presumptuously
to undertake for themselves more than that which is permitted them by
law, even so they ought not to suffer any disadvantage in those [privileges]
which have been granted them. Although they prefer to persist in their
stubbornness rather than to recognize the words of their prophets and
the mysteries of the Scriptures, and thus to arrive at a knowledge of
Christian faith and salvation; nevertheless, inasmuch as they have made
an appeal for our protection and help, we therefore admit their petition
and offer them the shield of our protection through the clemency of
Christian piety. In so doing we follow in the footsteps of our predecessors
of blessed memory, the popes of Rome Calixtus, Eugene, Alexander, Clement,
Celestine, Innocent, and Honorius....
Inasmuch as thejews 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.
Since it happens occasionally that some Christians
lose their Christian 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 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.
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 sacrifice from the heart and 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.
Sources: Tierney, Middle Ages, Vol 1, 259-60, no source given. Medieval
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