Portuguese Royal Edict Enfranchising “New Christians” (i.e. Marranos)

THE END OF THE INQUISITION IN PORTUGAL During the reign of José Manoel I (1750-77) the Inquisition in Portugal was effectively brought to an end. The initiative came from Sebastião José de Carvalho ê Mello, Marques de Pombal (1699-1782), the “power behind the throne.” In a series of acts from 1751 to 1774 Pombal placed the Holy Office of the Inquisition under secular control, thus depriving it of real power. He also restored the rights of the “New Christian” class, putting the descendants of the Marranos on equal social footing with the “Old Christians.” In the present Royal Edict, King José Manoel allows “New Christians” to leave Portugal and Portuguese possessions at will. See EJ, Vol. XIII, col. 924