(INQUISITION).

Regia Officina Typografica, May 26th

Lisbon

1773

Dom José por graça de Deos Rei de Portugal, e dos Algarves, dáquem, e dalém mar…Em consultas da Meza do Desembargo do Paço, e do Conselho Geral do Santo Officio da Inquisição…Que havendo a Igreja na sua Primitiva Fundação, no seu successivo progresso, e na propagação dos Fieis, que a ella se uniram, recebido no seu regaço, como Mãi Universal Gentios e Judeos convertidos.

This royal edict, instigated by reformist Prime Minister Pombal, attempts to show how historically and morally the discrimination against Portuguese “New Christians” is wrong. First, our document points out that discrimination against converts to Christianity (or their descendants) is contrary to the unity of Christianity and the spirit of the universal Church (p.1). Next, the historical record is replete with instances of Jews and Jewish converts who rendered invaluable service to the Kingdom of Portugal (p.3). Finally, the entire distinction between Old and New Christians is laid at the doorstep of the relatively new Statute of the See of Toledo (p.5). The reference is to the statute imposed by Juan Siliceo, Archbishop of Toledo in 1547, consisting of racial purity laws (“limpieza de sangre,” or “purity of blood”) aimed at preventing “New Christians,” i.e., Christians of Hebrew blood, from participating in Spanish society. On the practical level, this edict forbade use of the terms New Christians and Old Christians in official publications (p.9, Item I) and abolished the so-called Letters of Purity (p.10, Item IV).