Popes and Jews, 1095-1291

Papal Claims to Authority over Judaism 173

reason many Jews withdraw from his [the king’s] land, much to his loss and that of his

Kingdom, and he fears that still others have by this time departed.51

And he added that:

... we command you by Apostolic Writings to the effect that you no longer trouble
them about the wearing of a new sign, if indeed their clothes distinguish them from
Christians to such an extent that they cannot, by error, have forbidden intercourse.
otherwise you shall compel them to be set apart by the nature of their clothes in
accordance with the decree of the General Council. (This you shall do) not in order to
derive material benefit from it, but rather to prevent danger to many souls.52

So both Innocent III and Honorius III showed a degree of flexibility in their

implementation of Constitution 68. By contrast Gregory IX’s correspondence to

Germany and Spain mandated that the decree of lateran Iv be followed to the

letter.53 In tune with his endorsement of the Inquisition and his legislation on her-

etics, Jews must be clearly demarcated and separated from the rest of society.

Concern over distinguishing garb continued throughout the second half of the

thirteenth century, as can be seen in Innocent Iv’s correspondence to France,

Germany, and Spain.54 oddly, in one such letter he complained to the bishop of

Maguelonne that the implementation of this decree had led to confusion between

Jews and clergy:

Your Fraternity has told us that certain Jews of your diocese and of the surrounding

places presume, not without injury to the Clerical orders, to wear round and wide

capes after the manner of clerics and of members of the holy orders. As a result it often

happens that sacerdotal honor and undeserved reverence is paid them by travellers and

strangers. Since we do not want them to presume to do anything of this sort, we order

that the said Jews, having discarded any such capes, shall wear a habit befitting them,

one by which they may be distinguished not only from clergy, but even from laity.55

51 Honorius III, ‘Ad audientiam nostram’, Grayzel, Vol. 1, p.156; Simonsohn, p.111: ‘quidam tamen
vestrum pretextu generalis concilii, non propter excessus hujusmodi evitandos, sed ut tali potius occa-
sione possint pecuniam extorquere, ad portandum eosdem nituntur compellere nova signa; propter
quod multi Judeorum a terra sua in ipsius et regni sui detrimentum non modicum recesserint, et
adhuc alios metuit recessidos’.
52 Honorius III, ‘Ad audientiam nostram’, Grayzel, Vol. 1, pp.156–8; Simonsohn, p.111: ‘fraterni-
tati vestre per apostolica scripta mandamus quatinus si eos a Christianis habitus sic distinguit ut hinc
in dampnabiliter commisceri nequeant per errorem, ipsos super novis signis portandis nullatenus
mollestetis. Alioquin cogatis eosdem iuxta statuta concilii a Christianis publice per habitus qualitates
distingui, non ut ex hoc proprium commodum procuretis, sed obvietis potius periculis animarum.’
53 Gregory IX, ‘Sufficere debuerat perfidie’, Grayzel, Vol. 1, pp.198–200; Simonsohn, pp.141–3;
‘Judei quos propria’, Grayzel, Vol. 1, pp.204–6; Simonsohn, pp.145–7; ‘Cum in sacro generali’ (7 June
1233), Grayzel, Vol. 1, p.206; Simonsohn, p.145; ‘Significantibus dilectis filiis’ (29 August/10
September 1239), Grayzel, Vol. 1, p.244; Simonsohn, pp.174–5.
54 For example, Innocent Iv, ‘Cum in sacro generali’ (23 october 1245), Grayzel, Vol. 1, p.258;
Simonsohn, pp.185–6; ‘licet in sacro generali’ (13 April 1250), Grayzel, Vol. 1, p.282; Simonsohn,
pp.200–1; ‘licet in sacro generali’ (14 March 1254), Grayzel, Vol. 1, p.294; Simonsohn, p.209.
55 Innocent Iv, ‘Tua nobis fraternitas’ (7 July 1248), Grayzel, Vol. 1, p.280; Simonsohn, p.199: ‘Tua
nobis fraternitas intimavit quod Judei tue diocesis et circumpositorum locorum non sine ordinis cleri-
calis injuria capas rotundas et largas more clericorum et sacerdotum deferre presumant. Propter quod
sepe contigit ut a peregrinis et advenis eis tamquam sacerdotibus honor et reverentia indebita prebea-
tur. nolentes igitur ut ab ispsis de cetero talia presumantur, mandamus quatenus prefatos Judeos ut