The following documents are drawn from the Bullarium Romanum, Taurinensis Edition, Vol. XI, covering the final years of the pontificate of Clement VIII (years 12–14, 1603–1605), the brief pontificate of Leo XI (1605), and the first six years of Paul V (1605–1611). This volume is strikingly sparse in legislation directly concerning the Jews — a marked contrast with the preceding volume (Vol. X, Clement VIII’s earlier years), which contained six major documents on the subject including the sweeping expulsion of Jews from the Papal States. Vol. XI contains just two documents of substance touching the Jews:
The first is a brief constitution of Paul V (August 7, 1610) confirming internal dowry statutes enacted by the Hebrew community of Rome — a document of a protective and administrative character, notable as evidence that the Jewish community of Rome exercised recognized legal self-governance over its internal affairs under papal oversight.
The second is a broader missionary constitution (Paul V, 1608) granting extensive sacramental faculties to the Trinitarian Order brothers traveling to North Africa to ransom Christian captives. Jews appear in two clauses of this document: first in a permission clause allowing Mass to be celebrated even in the presence of Moors, Turks, Jews, and other non-Christians; and second — more significantly — in an explicit exclusion clause which lists iudaismus (the sin of Judaizing, i.e., apostasy to Judaism) among the categories of sin so grave that the missionaries’ otherwise sweeping absolution faculty does not extend to them.
No document in Vol. XI involves John XXII or any expulsion of Jews from the Comtat Venaissin. The volume covers popes of 1603–1611; John XXII reigned 1316–1334 and falls entirely outside the chronological scope of this volume. As established in our earlier research, no papal bull formally ordering that expulsion has been found in any volume of the Bullarium Romanum; the expulsion appears to have been executed through internal administrative orders rather than published constitutions.
I. Pope Paul V — Diversitati Hebraeorum: Confirmation of Statutes Enacted by the Hebrew Community of Rome Concerning the Dowries of Women (August 7, 1610)
Constitution CLVII. Paul V, year VI. Dated at Rome, at Saint Mark’s, under the Fisherman’s Ring, August 7, 1610. Source: Bullarium Romanum, Taurinensis Edition, Vol. XI, p. 629.
Preamble: The Pope addresses the diversity of the Hebrew community of Rome
To the diversity of the Hebrews dwelling in our beloved City, that they may acknowledge the way of truth and, having acknowledged it, preserve it.
§ 1. The Hebrew community petitions for apostolic confirmation of its dowry statutes
You have lately caused it to be set forth to us that you — desiring to reform matters concerning the dowries of women — have enacted certain capitula, ordinances, and reformations concerning these things, which were approved by our beloved son the Vicar General in spirituals in our City and his Vicegerent.
§ 2. The community desires that the statutes be made more firm by apostolic confirmation
And in order that they may stand more firmly and be inviolably observed by all, you most earnestly desire that they be strengthened by the patronage of our apostolic confirmation. You therefore caused humble supplication to be made to us, that we would deign to provide for you appropriately in the aforesaid matters from apostolic benignity.
§ 3. Paul V confirms and approves the capitula, ordinances, and reformations concerning dowries
We therefore, wishing to extend to you the favor of special grace, inclined to your supplications in this matter, by apostolic authority and by the tenor of the present letters confirm and approve the capitula, ordinances, and reformations concerning dowries made as aforesaid, and all and each of the things contained in them — those, however, that are lawful and honest, and not repugnant to law, good customs, and ecclesiastical liberty — and we add to them the strength of inviolable apostolic firmness; and we will and command that those things, and all and each of the things contained in them as aforesaid, be observed by all whom they concern and can concern in any way in the future, under the penalties expressed in those same capitula.
§ 4. Anything attempted to the contrary is declared void
And whatever shall happen to be attempted by anyone contrary to these things, by any authority, knowingly or unknowingly, we decree to be void and of no effect.
§ 5. Standard derogation clause
Notwithstanding apostolic constitutions and ordinances to the contrary in whatever way.
Given at Rome at Saint Mark’s, under the Fisherman’s Ring, on the seventh day of August 1610, in the sixth year of our pontificate.
Source. Bullarium Romanum, Taurinensis Edition, Vol. XI, p. 629, Constitution CLVII. Pope Paul V, Diversitati Hebraeorum, confirming the statutes of the Hebrew community of Rome concerning women’s dowries, August 7, 1610. Translated from the Latin.
Historical note. This brief constitution is a significant but easily overlooked document. It shows the Roman Jewish community — compelled to live in the ghetto established by Paul IV in 1555 and subject to sweeping restrictions renewed by Clement VIII in 1593 — nonetheless exercising recognized internal legal autonomy over its own affairs. The community’s dowry statutes had been drafted by the università degli Ebrei (the corporate body of Roman Jewry) and approved first by the Pope’s own Vicar General in Rome before being brought to Paul V for broader apostolic confirmation. The phrase in the preamble — “to the diversity of the Hebrews dwelling in our beloved City, that they may acknowledge the way of truth” — is the standard formulaic expression used in papal documents addressing the Roman Jewish community, simultaneously acknowledging their presence and gesturing toward hoped-for conversion, without in any way suggesting that the practical legal transaction being confirmed is conditional on conversion. The document is cited in the volume’s index under Hebraei Romae degentes statuta nonnulla edi curant pro mulierum dotibus — “the Hebrews dwelling at Rome cause certain statutes to be issued concerning the dowries of women.”
II. Pope Paul V — Ex Omnibus Christianae Caritatis: Graces and Faculties Granted to the Brothers of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives Going to the Lands of the Infidels (1608) — Clauses Concerning Jews
Constitution XCV. Paul V, year III. Dated at Rome, at Saint Peter’s, under the Fisherman’s Ring. 1608. Source: Bullarium Romanum, Taurinensis Edition, Vol. XI, pp. 461–464.
Background: The Trinitarian Order and its mission to ransom Christian captives in North Africa
Of all the offices of Christian charity by which eternal salvation is gained through the grace of God, we believe those are most pleasing to our Redeemer Jesus Christ by which unhappy captives are recalled from the land of the impious and from miserable servitude, and their salvation is cared for.
Inclined therefore to the supplications humbly presented to us by the beloved sons, superiors, and Bernard de Monroy, administrator of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives, we grant to the said Bernard — who, as he asserts, will shortly depart for Africa with other professed brothers of the said Order by command of the aforesaid superiors, to redeem captives — and to other professed brothers to be deputed for the discharge of this duty, [the faculty] to transfer themselves, to go, and to travel to Algiers and to other parts of Africa and of the infidels, and to remain and sojourn in the same parts…
§ 1. The sweeping absolution faculty — with an explicit exclusion of Judaizing
…and to hear the confessions of all and each of the Christian faithful of either sex who are captives and non-captives now and in the future dwelling and sojourning there, and to absolve them — captives once a year, the aforesaid free persons once only in their lifetime — from all their sins, crimes, excesses, and offenses, however grave and enormous, even reserved to the Apostolic See, and also those contained in the letters accustomed to be read on Maundy Thursday, not however heresy, lese-majesty, apostasy, idolatry, iudaismi [the sin of Judaizing / apostasy to Judaism], nor the exportation of prohibited goods to the lands of the infidels; and from whatever sentences of excommunication, suspension, and interdict, and other ecclesiastical sentences, censures, and penalties — enjoining upon them a salutary penance proportionate to their fault — in the forum of conscience only.
§ 6. Mass may be celebrated even in the presence of Jews, Turks, Moors, and other non-Christians
[The faculties further include that] the said religious and other priests, even captives, now and in the future present in those parts, may celebrate Mass for one hour before sunrise up to midday, and after noon for another hour, in places even profane that are more convenient to them for this purpose, with vestments and a portable altar — even if at the time of the celebration Moors, Turks, Jews, idolaters, heretics, apostates, or others separated from the Catholic Church are present there — unless there is a probable suspicion that they are present there deliberately in order to mock this sacred mystery or to commit some other irreverence there.
§ 8. A further mention in passing: the brothers may deal and treat with Turks, Moors, Jews, and heretics
[The faculties also include that] the said religious may receive and retain all and singular monies, goods, and chattels that happen to be transmitted to them, and have them at their disposal, and convert them solely to necessary uses both of their own and of the captives themselves, or into the ransom of the aforesaid captives when they have no other means to meet these necessities; and to communicate, to make agreements, and to have dealings with whatever Turks, Moors, Jews, heretics, and other infidels, a just cause remaining.
Source. Bullarium Romanum, Taurinensis Edition, Vol. XI, pp. 461–464, Constitution XCV. Pope Paul V, Ex Omnibus Christianae Caritatis, granting faculties to the Trinitarian Order for the redemption of captives in North Africa, 1608. Relevant clauses translated from the Latin; context paraphrased.
Historical note. This document is primarily a missionary and humanitarian instrument, not a piece of anti-Jewish legislation. Its principal subject is the Trinitarian Order (founded 1198), whose specific charism was the ransoming of Christians held captive by Muslim rulers in North Africa — a large-scale problem in the early seventeenth century, with tens of thousands of Christians enslaved in Algiers, Tunis, and other North African ports.
The references to Jews in the document are incidental to this central purpose, appearing in three ways. First, the absolution faculty in §1 contains a list of reserved sins explicitly excluded from the brothers’ power to absolve: heresy, lese-majesty, apostasy, idolatry, iudaismi, and trading with the infidel. The term iudaismi here does not mean “being a Jew” but rather the specific canonical offense of a baptized Christian apostatizing to Judaism — a serious enough offense that even the broad absolution faculty granted to missionaries in infidel territory does not cover it. This classification sits alongside apostasy and heresy, reflecting standard canonical treatment.
Second, §6 contains the permission for Mass to be celebrated even with Jews, Turks, Moors, and others present — a practical pastoral concession for missionaries operating in plural religious environments where segregated worship spaces were unavailable. The sole caveat is that there be no “probable suspicion” that the non-Christians are present specifically to mock the sacrament. Third, §8 grants permission to conduct commercial negotiations with Jews, Turks, Moors, and heretics — again a pragmatic necessity for ransom negotiations in North African markets where Jewish merchants played a significant role as intermediaries.