Papal Claims to Authority over Judaism 177
Three years later, in 1239, however, he conceded to Andrew’s successor Bela Iv
(1235–1270) the same dispensation he had granted to Sancho II of Portugal
(1223–1247), namely that he might if necessary sell his revenues to Jews or ‘pagans’
(here Muslims) provided that a Christian was appointed to oversee the collection
of royal dues and taxes—though he also reminded him of the wording of the
decree which stipulated that neither Jews nor Muslims should be given preferment
in office.75
During the second half of the thirteenth century popes continued to issue
similar directives in response to petitions. In 1258 Alexander Iv told the duke of
Burgundy to ensure that Jews be barred from all positions of authority in the
duchy.76 As in the case of distinguishing garb, Clement Iv asked his chaplain to
investigate complaints that the king of Portugal was appointing Jews in preference
to Christians;77 while writing to prelates of the Counties of Poitiers, Toulouse, and
Provence in 1267, he reiterated that Jews should not hold public office.78 Similarly
in 1279 nicholas III listed a number of complaints against the king of Castile and
león, including the appointment of Jews to positions of power.79 When in 1284
Martin Iv wrote to the bishop of león and to the dean and archdeacon of ledesma
in Salamanca, he listed among the issues disputed between the prelates of the
Kingdom of Portugal and Dionysius that the king was said to grant Jews positions
of power over Christians.80 Finally, in 1289 nicholas Iv confirmed the joint docu-
ment drawn up between the king and the clergy of Portugal which enumerated
forty points on which Dionysius and the Church had reached an understanding; it
included a stipulation that Jews not be given preferential treatment in the matter
of public office.81 So throughout the thirteenth century popes remained com-
mitted to implementing the legislation of lateran Iv.
ECuMEnICAl CounCIlS: THE JEWISH PErSPECTIvE
The spiritual authority of the papacy was particularly evident in a pope’s power to
call ecumenical councils—a fact which did not go unnoticed by medieval Jewish
writers who often feared that the outcome of such councils would be detrimental
to their communities.82 According to the Jewish writer Shem-Tob Sonzolo, Jews
anticipated violence when Innocent II called the Second lateran Council in
75 Gregory IX, ‘Quia inter ceteros’ (10 December 1239), Grayzel, Vol. 1, pp.244–6; Simonsohn,
pp.175–6.
76 Alexander Iv, ‘In sacro generali’, Grayzel, Vol. 2, pp.64–6; Simonsohn, pp.215–16.
77 Clement Iv, ‘Isti sunt articuli’, Grayzel, Vol. 2, pp.90–1; Simonsohn, pp.227–9.
78 Clement Iv, ‘Dampnabili perfidia Judaeorum’, Grayzel, Vol. 2, pp.106–10; Simonsohn,
pp.239–40.
79 nicholas III, ‘Istud est memoriale secretum’ (23 March 1279), Grayzel, Vol. 2, pp.145–6;
Simonsohn, p.253.
80 Martin Iv, ‘Isti sunt articuli’, Grayzel, Vol. 2, pp.152–4; Simonsohn, pp.257–9.
81 nicholas Iv, ‘Cum olim inter’, Grayzel, Vol. 2, pp.172–4; Simonsohn, pp.268–70.
82 Solomon Grayzel, ‘Jews and the Ecumenical Councils’, in The Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Volume
of the Jewish Quarterly Review, ed. A. A. neuman, S. Zeitlin (1967), 287–311.