Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
1577-1847 · 270 years · show in timeline

Compulsory sermons for Jews, Gregory XIII obliges them in 1577 and 1584 to listen to conversion sermons

From 1577 the Jews of Rome had to listen to Christian conversion sermons every Sabbath. In 1584 Pope Gregory XIII made this compulsory for all places with a synagogue with the bull "Sancta mater Ecclesia": Jewish women and men from the age of twelve had to attend in rotation, at least a third at a time; they paid the preacher themselves, and those who stayed away were excluded from trade with Christians. Later an armed man with a stick supervised the listeners. Only in 1847 under Pius IX were the sermons discontinued.

Period
1577-1847 (270 years)
Country
Italy, Vatican City
Institutions
Pope Gregory XIII
Papal States
Casa dei Catecumeni
Category
Anti-Judaism, Persecution
Level of evidence
A Primary source · what does this mean?
Persons
Gregory XIII (Pope, ordered the compulsory sermons)
Innocent XI (Pope, under whom an armed man supervised the listeners)
Pius IX (Pope, under whom the sermons were discontinued in 1847)
Joseph Ẓarfati (convert to Christianity, preacher of the compulsory sermons)
Pope Gregory XIII, portrait by Lavinia Fontana
Pope Gregory XIII, portrait by Lavinia Fontana Image: Lavinia Fontana, Public domain, Source

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

  1. All Jewish women and men from the age of twelve who were not prevented by illness or another recognised reason had to attend, including travellers without a residence in the place, in rotation and at least a third at a time.
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 2, S. 488
    „sexus iudaeos a duodecim annis supra“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 2, S. 488. Original
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 2, S. 488
    „etiamsi inibì doraicilium non liabeant“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 2, S. 488. Original

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. On 1 September 1577 Pope Gregory XIII decreed that the Jews of Rome had to listen to conversion sermons every Sabbath. A second bull of 1 September 1584 prescribed that at least 100 men and 50 women had to be present.
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Artikel Rome, Abschnitt Pius V.
    „On Sept. 1, 1577, the pope issued a decree that on every Sabbath the Jews should attend conversionist sermons.“
    Rome (Joseph Jacobs, Schulim Ochser), Artikel Rome, Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Artikel Rome, Abschnitt Pius V.
    „A second bull, Sept. 1, 1584, ordered that these sermons should be attended by at least 100 men and 50 women.“
    Rome (Joseph Jacobs, Schulim Ochser), Artikel Rome, Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
  2. The bull "Sancta mater Ecclesia" of 1 September 1584 ordered all patriarchs, archbishops and bishops to have sermons preached for the Jews gathered there in every place with a synagogue on the Sabbath or another fixed day of the week. In them their "errors and heresies" and the allegedly falsified interpretation of Scripture by their rabbis were to be refuted, and the permanent desolation of Jerusalem, their dispersion and captivity held up to them.
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 1, S. 487
    „patriarcbis, arcliiepiscopis, episcopis et aliis ecclesiarum praelatis“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 1, S. 487. Original
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 1, S. 488
    „de multiplicibus ci vnriis erroribus el haeresibus eorum“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 1, S. 488. Original
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 1, S. 488
    „de falsa per eorum rabbinos tradita sacrarum Scripturarum interpretatione“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 1, S. 488. Original
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 1, S. 488
    „tum ipsorum ubique terrarum dispersione et captivitale“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 1, S. 488. Original
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Datum
    „Dai. die 1 sepl. 1584“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Datum. Original

What happened to those affected?

  1. Anyone who stayed away was excluded from trade with the Christians and subjected to further penalties at the bishop's discretion until he attended the sermons again. Christians who kept Jews from attending were automatically excommunicated.
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 2, S. 488
    „interdicli cum fidelibus commercii et aliis poenis“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 2, S. 488. Original
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 2, S. 488
    „ad ipsos sermones audiendos compellantur“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 2, S. 488. Original
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 3, S. 488
    „excommunicationis sentenùa sii eo ipso ligatus“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 3, S. 488. Original
  2. Under Pope Innocent XI (1676-1689) an official armed with a stick attended the sermons and forced the listeners to pay attention. After the death of Leo XII (1829) the Jews were again forced to listen to the sermons.
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Artikel Rome, Abschnitt Conversionist Sermons
    „During the reign of Innocent XI. an official armed with a staff attended the conversionist sermons to compel the audience to listen.“
    Rome (Joseph Jacobs, Schulim Ochser), Artikel Rome, Abschnitt Conversionist Sermons. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Artikel Rome, Abschnitt In the Nineteenth Century
    „they were even compelled to listen again to conversionist sermons“
    Rome (Joseph Jacobs, Schulim Ochser), Artikel Rome, Abschnitt In the Nineteenth Century. Original · Archive copy

Background

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

  1. The bull names the conversion of the Jews as its purpose: the Church was grieved that the Jewish people, scattered like a "contagious flock", perished from hunger for the word of God and would be cast out of the heavenly Jerusalem if it did not confess Christ.
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, Einleitung, S. 487
    „ac contagiosi gregis more per invia et inaquosa misere vagantem“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, Einleitung, S. 487. Original
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, Einleitung, S. 487
    „unde eorum conversioni et saluti opportunius provideatur“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, Einleitung, S. 487. Original

Who received the assets, who profited?

  1. Under the bull, the Jews as a rule had to pay the preacher themselves, from a levy on the community. As early as 4 September 1578 Gregory XIII had forced the Jews of Rome to contribute 1100 scudi to the upkeep of the Casa dei Catecumeni, the house for candidates for baptism.
    Evidence: Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 1, S. 487
    „cum mercede congrua illi ex ipsorum hebraeonim coUatione aut alias“
    Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 1, S. 487. Original
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Artikel Gregory XIII.
    „He compelled (Sept. 4, 1578) the Jews of Rome to contribute 1,100 scudi toward the maintenance of the Casa dei Catecumeni (Home for Converts to Christianity)“
    Gregory XIII. (Ugo Buoncompagni), Artikel Gregory XIII.. Original

Response of the Church

  1. Only under Pius IX in 1847 were the sermons discontinued, together with permission to live outside the ghetto.
    Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906), Artikel Rome, Abschnitt In the Nineteenth Century
    „in May of the same year the Jews were granted permission to live outside the ghetto. The conversionist sermons were discontinued.“
    Rome (Joseph Jacobs, Schulim Ochser), Artikel Rome, Abschnitt In the Nineteenth Century. Original · Archive copy

Original texts

Original text Bull "Sancta mater Ecclesia", 1 September 1584, section 2: penalty for staying away

interdicli cum fidelibus commercii et aliis poenis, arbitrio ordinari! prò contumaciae modo imponendis

Translation (unofficial)

under a ban on trade with the faithful and other penalties to be imposed at the discretion of the ordinary according to the degree of their contumacy

Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive: Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, Bd. 8, Nr. CLXX, § 2, S. 488 (Text des OCR-Scans). Original

See also

Original documents to read

  1. Church document
    Bullarium Romanum, Turiner Ausgabe (Dalmazzo, Turin 1863), Internet Archive: Gregor XIII., Bulle „Sancta mater Ecclesia“, 1. September 1584, in: Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio, Bd. 8, 1 September 1584. Original (retrieved 15 Oct 2026)

Scholarly literature and reference works

  1. Reference work
    Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906): Rome (Joseph Jacobs, Schulim Ochser). Original · Archive copy (retrieved 11 Oct 2026)
  2. Reference work
    Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906): Gregory XIII. (Ugo Buoncompagni). Original (retrieved 15 Oct 2026)
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Last changed on 22 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.