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Encyclopaedia Judaica

Persecution of the Jews: The Inquisition of the church against the Jews 1481-1834

How criminal Catholic "Christian" church and the criminal Pope justified anonymous allegations against the Jews and New Christians with torture, degradation, and burning - and confiscation of the property

from: Inquisition; In: Encyclopaedia Judaica 1971, vol. 8

presented by Michael Palomino (2007)

5. Inquisition since 1492: Inquisition in Spain

[Inquisition under Diego Deza and Diego Rodríguez Lucero: Illegal agitation - stop of the Inquisition]

<SPAIN. Meanwhile the activities of the Inquisition in Spain had continued unabated under Diego Deza (1499-1507), the successor of Torquemada as grand inquisitor, himself of Jewish blood. During his period of office, the excesses committed under his auspices - in particular by Diego Rodríguez Lucero, the inquisitor of *Córdoba - were notorious: accusations were made wholesale on the flimsiest grounds; incredible cruelties were perpetrated; and no accused person had any chance to escape. The culmination was reached when no less than 107 persons (col. 1387)

were burned alive on an accusation of having listened to the preaching of one Membreque, a bachelor of divinity. Complaints against these atrocities became so widespread that on Sept. 30, 1505 Philip and Juana suspended the action of the Inquisition in Castile until they returned from Flanders.

[Death of king Philipo - Lucero's agitation against Hernando de Talavera]

However, the death of Philip put an end to this plan, and Lucero was emboldened to issue another wholesale batch of accusations, including one against the saintly Hernando de Talavera - archbishop of Granada and formerly confessor to Isabella the Catholic herself - who died in consequence of the humiliation imposed upon him.

[New grand inquisitor Ximénes de Cisneros - Lucero is not punished - Jewish offers to king Charles V - hardliners Charles V and Philip II - tribunal develops popular pomp]

The popular outcry now led Ferdinand to dismiss Deza and to appoint Cardinal *Ximénes de Cisneros in his place as grand inquisitor (1507). Proceedings were instituted against Lucero, but were allowed to drop.

On the accession of Charles V, the Spanish New Christians sent him promises of enormous sums if he would restrict the power of the Inquisition in his dominions and abolish secret accusations. Similar steps were taken at Rome, where Pope Leo X prepared a bull in the sense desired. Charles, however, after temporary vacillation, displayed the narrow obscurantism which was to characterize him through life, and effectively prevented the publication of the bull.

Thereafter, there was no serious challenge to the authority of the Inquisition in Spain and it could count throughout upon royal support. Charles' son, Philip II, carried on and enhanced his father's obscurantist tradition, maintaining the tribunal in all of its terrible power in spite of the protests of the Cortes. Under Philip III, the conde-duque de Olivares endeavored to restrict its might; but on his fall it continued with its influence if anything increased. It was under this king and his successor, Philip IV, that the tribunal attained its greatest power and pomp.

[15 Inquisition tribunals in Spain - Inquisition of Moors since 1525 - and protestants and fortune tellers]

The number of the Spanish tribunals ultimately totaled 15: Barcelona, Córdoba, Cuenca, Granada, Logroño, Llerena, Madrid (called also Corte), Murcia, Santiago, Seville, Toledo, Valencia, Valladolid, and Saragossa, and Palma (Majorca). All acted under the authority of the central tribunal (the "supreme").

Activity, as far as Judaizers were concerned, was greatest in Old Castile and least in Catalonia. As time advanced, however, the exclusive preoccupation of the Inquisition with the New Christians came to be qualified. From 1525, Moors faithful to the religion of their fathers also fell within its scope, and as the century advanced, there was an increasing number of Protestants and Alumbrados, or visionaries.

[Middle of 16th century: Crypto-Judaism is wiped out in Spain - Portuguese Judaizers take over the positions]

By the middle of the 16th century, indeed, the native tradition of crypto-Judaism had to a large extent become extirpated, owing to the incredible severity of the Inquisition in the first years of its existence. However, the place of the Spanish Judaizers was taken, especially during the period of the union of the two countries, by immigrants from Portugal, or else their immediate descendants.

[1720: Discovery of a secret synagogue in Madrid - the stake is burning under Philip V]

At the beginning of the 18th century, with the less obscurantist era which dawned with the house of Bourbon, there was some slight mitigation, particularly as far as the Judaizers were concerned, but in 1720 the discovery of a secret synagogue in Madrid led to a considerable recrudescence of activity throughout the country. During the reign of Philip V (1700-46), 1,564 heretics were burned and 11,730 reconciled to the Church, a good proportion for Judaizing. After his outburst, the activity of the Inquisition gradually diminished, though more through lack of material than through any diminution of zeal.> (col. 1388)

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