Persecution of the Jews by the Church
The Jewish people suffered greatly under the persecution of many different people well before the Holocaust began in the 1940's. One group of people that persecuted Jews was the Catholic Church. Christian Persecution of the Jews began around the time Constantine became emperor of Rome and spread throughout many years and events.
The Rule of Emperor Constantine & his Successors
Life for the Jewish people changed drastically when Emperor Constantine ( see picture on the left) came to power in A.D. 313. Great changes began in 315 when the Edict of Milan took away Jewish rights. These inequities only continued with the Council of Nicea in 325, which made it illegal for pagans to convert to Judaism and also made Jewish observances heretical to Christians. Also, because Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, Jews were denied Roman citizenship. The Jewish people were greatly encouraged to convert to Christianity during this time and throughout the entire reign of Christian emperors. Then, in 339, Constantine made intermarriage between Jews and Christians and the circumcision of Christian slaves illegal actions punishable by death. The Jews then had a small "break" from persecution, as the emperors were not as ferociously against the Jewish religion as their predecessors had been, but that all changed when Christianity was made the only legal religion in 391. From this stemmed a long age of forced conversions and baptisms. For many years, by the influence of these Roman actions, Spain, Constantinople, Italy, and other places were all areas of severe persecution of the Jews. Some of these persecutions were the previously mentioned forced baptisms, but also included exile and other forms of persecution. For many years these harsh persecutions existed, and they reached a crescendo with the beginning of the Crusades in 1095.
http://ciprianboboc.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/constantine-the-great-and-religious-tolerance/
Life for the Jewish people changed drastically when Emperor Constantine ( see picture on the left) came to power in A.D. 313. Great changes began in 315 when the Edict of Milan took away Jewish rights. These inequities only continued with the Council of Nicea in 325, which made it illegal for pagans to convert to Judaism and also made Jewish observances heretical to Christians. Also, because Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, Jews were denied Roman citizenship. The Jewish people were greatly encouraged to convert to Christianity during this time and throughout the entire reign of Christian emperors. Then, in 339, Constantine made intermarriage between Jews and Christians and the circumcision of Christian slaves illegal actions punishable by death. The Jews then had a small "break" from persecution, as the emperors were not as ferociously against the Jewish religion as their predecessors had been, but that all changed when Christianity was made the only legal religion in 391. From this stemmed a long age of forced conversions and baptisms. For many years, by the influence of these Roman actions, Spain, Constantinople, Italy, and other places were all areas of severe persecution of the Jews. Some of these persecutions were the previously mentioned forced baptisms, but also included exile and other forms of persecution. For many years these harsh persecutions existed, and they reached a crescendo with the beginning of the Crusades in 1095.
http://ciprianboboc.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/constantine-the-great-and-religious-tolerance/
The Crusades
The Crusades were military expeditions initiated in 1095 by the Catholic Church in order to, among other religious reasons, gain back the Holy Land. Pope Urban II (see picture on right) called for the Crusades when he recognized the need for the Christians to regain the land where Jesus of Nazareth had lived, otherwise known as the Holy Land, from the Muslims who had seized it. The main targets for the Crusaders during this time were the Muslims; however, many Jews were killed and tortured, as well. Crusaders spared not the lives of Jews on their marches to the Holy Land, and during these travels from 1096 to 1270, a myriad of Jews lost their lives. In the First Crusade, 12,000 Jews were killed in just one city in Germany alone. French monk Rudolf called for the massacre of Jews to begin the Second Crusade. Jews were killed and tortured by Crusaders throughout this entire time period. Sadly, persecution did not end after the Crusades were over, but continued with the Spanish Inquisition.
http://skepticism-images.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/images/jreviews/Pope-Urban-II.jpg
The Crusades were military expeditions initiated in 1095 by the Catholic Church in order to, among other religious reasons, gain back the Holy Land. Pope Urban II (see picture on right) called for the Crusades when he recognized the need for the Christians to regain the land where Jesus of Nazareth had lived, otherwise known as the Holy Land, from the Muslims who had seized it. The main targets for the Crusaders during this time were the Muslims; however, many Jews were killed and tortured, as well. Crusaders spared not the lives of Jews on their marches to the Holy Land, and during these travels from 1096 to 1270, a myriad of Jews lost their lives. In the First Crusade, 12,000 Jews were killed in just one city in Germany alone. French monk Rudolf called for the massacre of Jews to begin the Second Crusade. Jews were killed and tortured by Crusaders throughout this entire time period. Sadly, persecution did not end after the Crusades were over, but continued with the Spanish Inquisition.
http://skepticism-images.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/images/jreviews/Pope-Urban-II.jpg
http://emyoku.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/crusades.jpg
The Spanish Inquisition
Another example of the persecution of Jews by the Church can be seen in the Spanish Inquisition. Before the inquisition began, Jews were being encouraged to leave behind their Jewish religion and become baptized Christians. However, as one can only expect, many of the Jews did not wish to become baptized. Subsequently, many were forced into baptism but did not truly practice their new religion, choosing instead to secretly practice Jewish customs. When this was discovered by the Catholic Church in 1478, Pope Sixtus IV (see picture to the left) called for an Inquisition, or special court tribunal, that would last up to the year 1820. During the Inquisition, the Church searched for those converted Jews who were not truly practicing their new religion and punished them, often by torturing or even killing them. One of the first trials, in Barcelona, resulted in the torture of any victim who seemed to be Jewish. They were then convicted of heresy and burned at the stake, and about 300 Jewish converts were burned at the stake in just one year. The Inquisition lead to the expulsion of Jews from Spain and later Portugal. In Spain, the rulers at the time, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, believed that the Jews were bad examples to the practicing, and newly converted, Christians, and could either convert to Christianity or leave. 100,000 fled and eventually ended up in Portugal where they were safe until the king of Portugal, Manoel I, signed a marriage contract with Infanta Isabella of Spain and, as a requirement of the contract, forced all of the Jews out of Portugal. Forced baptism, expulsion, and death were all methods of persecution used on the Jews by Christians at the time of the Inquisition.
http://ramp.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/SixtusIV.jpg
Another example of the persecution of Jews by the Church can be seen in the Spanish Inquisition. Before the inquisition began, Jews were being encouraged to leave behind their Jewish religion and become baptized Christians. However, as one can only expect, many of the Jews did not wish to become baptized. Subsequently, many were forced into baptism but did not truly practice their new religion, choosing instead to secretly practice Jewish customs. When this was discovered by the Catholic Church in 1478, Pope Sixtus IV (see picture to the left) called for an Inquisition, or special court tribunal, that would last up to the year 1820. During the Inquisition, the Church searched for those converted Jews who were not truly practicing their new religion and punished them, often by torturing or even killing them. One of the first trials, in Barcelona, resulted in the torture of any victim who seemed to be Jewish. They were then convicted of heresy and burned at the stake, and about 300 Jewish converts were burned at the stake in just one year. The Inquisition lead to the expulsion of Jews from Spain and later Portugal. In Spain, the rulers at the time, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, believed that the Jews were bad examples to the practicing, and newly converted, Christians, and could either convert to Christianity or leave. 100,000 fled and eventually ended up in Portugal where they were safe until the king of Portugal, Manoel I, signed a marriage contract with Infanta Isabella of Spain and, as a requirement of the contract, forced all of the Jews out of Portugal. Forced baptism, expulsion, and death were all methods of persecution used on the Jews by Christians at the time of the Inquisition.
http://ramp.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/SixtusIV.jpg
http://aquilakahecate.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-new-inquisition.html
Other Persecutions
In addition to the formerly listed persecutions, there were also many other instances of persecutions that the Jews endured. For example, Jewish people were banned from the city of Alexandria, which had been their home for many years, in 414 after Christians had broken into and ruined their synagogues. To add insult to injury, they could not rebuild because emperor Theodosius II had made the constructing of synagogues illegal. The Jews were left with nowhere to worship. In 546, Jews were prohibited from celebrating Passover before Easter. Later on, they were not allowed to say some of their prayers because the Christians believed that they denied the Trinity.
In addition to the formerly listed persecutions, there were also many other instances of persecutions that the Jews endured. For example, Jewish people were banned from the city of Alexandria, which had been their home for many years, in 414 after Christians had broken into and ruined their synagogues. To add insult to injury, they could not rebuild because emperor Theodosius II had made the constructing of synagogues illegal. The Jews were left with nowhere to worship. In 546, Jews were prohibited from celebrating Passover before Easter. Later on, they were not allowed to say some of their prayers because the Christians believed that they denied the Trinity.
In 1215, Jews were forced to wear specific clothes, such as a badge with a yellow circle (see above photo) or a conical hat (see photo to the left). When they wore these specified clothes, they stood out more in the crowd and could more easily be targeted by Christians. In 1240, there was a public book burning of Jewish books. These and the above listed examples of Jewish persecution by the Catholic Church are just those that are most well known today, for there are many other little injustices throughout history.
http://ddickerson.igc.org/jewish-badge-small.gif
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/JudenMitHut.jpg/150px-JudenMitHut.jpg
http://ddickerson.igc.org/jewish-badge-small.gif
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/JudenMitHut.jpg/150px-JudenMitHut.jpg
Persecution Today
While it is important to know the history of the world and the actions taken by different groups of people, it is also important to realize that there is more than one side to a story. The actions taken by the Church, though harsh, were thought at the time to be methods of defense of the Church and of the utmost necessity. The Church at the time truly thought that what they were doing was the will of God and that they had to protect Christianity. Also, often times the initial catalyst for these actions was abandoned in favor of the ideas of a corrupted leader. This being said, the Church does take responsibility for the actions taken by her predecessors. Today the Church does not go out of her way to persecute those of any system of beliefs and instead prays for coexistence and unification. The countries involved at the time have lifted the banning of the Jews, as well.
http://diversitychronicle.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/francis.jpg
While it is important to know the history of the world and the actions taken by different groups of people, it is also important to realize that there is more than one side to a story. The actions taken by the Church, though harsh, were thought at the time to be methods of defense of the Church and of the utmost necessity. The Church at the time truly thought that what they were doing was the will of God and that they had to protect Christianity. Also, often times the initial catalyst for these actions was abandoned in favor of the ideas of a corrupted leader. This being said, the Church does take responsibility for the actions taken by her predecessors. Today the Church does not go out of her way to persecute those of any system of beliefs and instead prays for coexistence and unification. The countries involved at the time have lifted the banning of the Jews, as well.
http://diversitychronicle.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/francis.jpg
If you are interested in finding out more information about this time period, check out the following link: http://www.jewishvoice.org/assets/pdfs/jewish-persecution-in-history.pdf
Header photo: http://www.theriversidechurchny.org/images/Riverside_Nave.jpg
Header photo: http://www.theriversidechurchny.org/images/Riverside_Nave.jpg