Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
23 May 1536-31 Mar 1821 · 284 years · show in timeline

Portuguese Inquisition

At the urging of King John III, Pope Paul III established the Inquisition in Portugal by bull on 23 May 1536, after years of resistance by the Curia and bribery on both sides. It was directed above all against the forcibly baptised Jews ("New Christians" or Marranos). From 1541 stakes burned in Lisbon, Évora and Coimbra; prisoners were tortured and even children threatened. The tribunal reached as far as Goa and Brazil. In 1674 Pope Clement X suspended it because of its cruelty; by 1681 it was working again. It was abolished only on 31 March 1821.

Period
23 May 1536-31 Mar 1821 (284 years)
Country
Brazil, India, Portugal
Institutions
Inquisition in Portugal
Holy See
Portuguese Crown
Category
Anti-Judaism, Expropriation, Torture, Heresy trials, Persecution
Level of evidence
B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?
Persons
Paul III (Pope)
John III (King of Portugal)
Charles V (Emperor)

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

  1. Many of the forcibly baptised who returned to Judaism became victims of continuing persecution. The first tribunals were set up in Lisbon, Évora and Coimbra; Lisbon held its first public auto-da-fé with burnings on 23 October 1541. The prisons filled rapidly, and stakes burned in many places.
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 12 (1911), Edgar Prestage, Abschnitt History (Manuel I.)
    „Many of these converts went back to Judaism and became the victims of bitter and continual persecution , when the Inquisition was established.“
    Portugal, Abschnitt History (Manuel I.). Original
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt First Portuguese Auto da Fé
    „The first tribunals were established in Lisbon, Evora, and Coimbra. The tribunal in Lisbon, the first inquisitor of which was John of Mello, celebrated its first public auto da fé Oct. 23, 1541.“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt First Portuguese Auto da Fé. Original
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt First Portuguese Auto da Fé
    „The prisons of the Inquisition filled rapidly, and pyres burned in many places.“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt First Portuguese Auto da Fé. Original

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. In Coimbra the ten-year-old daughter of a New Christian was placed in front of a brazier and threatened that her hands would be burned if she did not confess that her parents had beaten a crucifix. The child confessed, and the parents were burned. A law of 1683 provided that all who had ever stood before the tribunal were to have their children aged seven and over taken away.
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt Cruelties Perpetrated at Lisbon
    „His little daughter, scarcely ten years old, was placed in front of a brazier of glowing coals and was told that if she did not at once confess that her parents had struck a crucifix in Porto, her hands would be burned off immediately. In her utter fright the innocent child confessed. Alvares and his wife were burned.“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt Cruelties Perpetrated at Lisbon. Original
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt Attempt to Restrain the Tribunal
    „The cruelty of the Inquisition is shown by a law of Aug. 5, 1683, according to which children of seven years and upward were to be taken away from all those who had once been placed before a tribunal“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt Attempt to Restrain the Tribunal. Original

What happened to those affected?

  1. New Christians were still being burned in Portugal in the 18th century. The Inquisition carried its procedure into the colonies: its main seat was Goa, and shiploads of New Christians were brought every year from Brazil to Lisbon. It was abolished on 31 March 1821.
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt In the Eighteenth Century
    „Even in the eighteenth century backsliding Neo-Christians were burned at the stake in Portugal.“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt In the Eighteenth Century. Original
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt In the Portuguese Colonies
    „Its chief seat was at Goa, in South India“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt In the Portuguese Colonies. Original
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt In the Portuguese Colonies
    „From Rio shiploads of Maranos were sent every year to Lisbon and handed over to the Inquisition“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt In the Portuguese Colonies. Original
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt In the Eighteenth Century
    „The Inquisition was completely abolished on March 31, 1821.“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt In the Eighteenth Century. Original

Background

Course of events

  1. The popes at first resisted and issued bulls of pardon for the New Christians. Under pressure from Emperor Charles V, Paul III announced the establishment of the Inquisition in Portugal by bull on 23 May 1536. The Catholic Encyclopedia speaks of a twenty years' struggle in Rome with "disgraceful bribery on both sides", until the king forced papal consent in 1547.
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt Bull of May 23, 1536
    „on May 23, 1536, the pope issued a bull in which the establishment of the Inquisition in Portugal was definitely announced“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt Bull of May 23, 1536. Original
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 12 (1911), Edgar Prestage, Abschnitt History (Johann III.)
    „After a twenty years' struggle at Rome with the Hebrews, marked by disgraceful bribery on both sides, John forced the pope's consent in 1547“
    Portugal, Abschnitt History (Johann III.). Original

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

  1. In 1531 King John III asked the Holy See for the Inquisition. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, for him, as for his father Manuel, the chief concern was the property of the New Christians; Manuel wanted to baptise them, John to burn them. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the wealth of the "Hebrews" invited their spoliation.
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 12 (1911), Edgar Prestage, Abschnitt History (Johann III.)
    „satisfied the complaints of the people against that race by petitioning the Holy See in 1531 to establish the Inquisition“
    Portugal, Abschnitt History (Johann III.). Original
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt Continued Struggles
    „With John, as with his father Manuel, the chief concern was the property of the Maranos; and for this reason neither father nor son wished them to leave the country. The former desired to baptize them; the latter, to burn them.“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt Continued Struggles. Original
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 12 (1911), Edgar Prestage, Abschnitt History (Johann III.)
    „the wealth of the Hebrews invited their spoliation“
    Portugal, Abschnitt History (Johann III.). Original

Response of the Church

  1. Pope Clement X suspended the Portuguese Inquisition on 3 October 1674 and forbade all convictions and confiscations. The Inquisitor General refused to obey. In 1681 it resumed its work; according to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the auto-da-fé of 10 May 1682 in Lisbon was the largest and most terrible in its history.
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt Attempt to Restrain the Tribunal
    „Pope Clement X. issued a bull Oct. 3, 1674, which suspended the activity of the Portuguese Inquisition and strictly prohibited every condemnation or confiscation of property.“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt Attempt to Restrain the Tribunal. Original
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 12 (1911), Edgar Prestage, Abschnitt History (Peter II.)
    „suspended it until reforms should be introduced“
    Portugal, Abschnitt History (Peter II.). Original
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Abschnitt Attempt to Restrain the Tribunal
    „on May 10, 1682, an auto da fé was held in Lisbon, the first of the new series, and the largest and most horrible in the whole history of the Portuguese Inquisition.“
    Inquisition, Abschnitt Attempt to Restrain the Tribunal. Original

See also

Scholarly literature and reference works

  1. Reference work
    Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906): Inquisition. Original (retrieved 12 Oct 2026)
  2. Reference work
    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 12 (1911), Edgar Prestage: Portugal, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 12 Oct 2026)
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