THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH WITH THE JEWS.

    PAPAL BULLS, EDICTS AND LAWS.

    The bulls were intended to ensure some legal recognition of the rights of the Jews, but in reality their provisions were often evaded by mob aggression , aided and abetted by some local clergy. The bulls were pronounced by Gregory 1 (590 –604), later by Alexander 111 (1159-81),and renewed by 23 subsequent Popes. By such ordinances Christian leaders were not permitted to enforce baptism upon Jews, kill, injure or rob  them. They were not allowed to alter their traditional religious laws, disturb their feasts and rituals, exact military service from them, while giving a few other protections of Jewish social life.

Throughout Europe laws and ordinances did have the effect of regulating much Jewish social, cultural,economic, legal and domestic life. The same laws were also intended to protect Christians from a silent religious contamination by a close association with Jews in their midst.

   The Jew’s status became that of a rejected, degraded and servile people, but whose lawful rights under the Theodosian code were theoretically respected in the hope of their eventual spiritual salvation at the end of the age.  No rights were allowed other than those permitted by laws enacted by the church authorities.

 

       TO  BE  CONTINUED …