Compiled from the 1599 Milan edition of the Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis (ex Officina Typographica quon. Pacifici Pontii), assembled under Cardinal Federico Borromeo from the decrees of six Provincial Councils and eleven Diocesan Synods promulgated by St. Charles Borromeo (1538–1584), Archbishop of Milan. All passages are direct quotations from the scanned text. Translations are provided immediately after each Latin original.
Preface: The Shape of the Corpus
St. Charles Borromeo, the great architect of Tridentine reform in northern Italy, devoted substantial portions of the Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis to the regulation of Jewish life in the Milanese province. The relevant material is distributed across three distinct legislative moments — the First, Fourth, and Fifth Provincial Councils — and is supplemented by a canon from the ancient penitential tradition and by rubrics governing the administration of the sacraments. A further passage from the decree on sacred images frames the Cross itself as a public sign of Christian separation from Jews, pagans, and heretics.
His anti-Jewish decrees operate in six registers:
- Social separation — comprehensive prohibition of eating, dancing, playing, employment, medical consultation, matchmaking, and cosmetic assistance between Christians and Jews; enforced residence in a ghetto; Jews removed from all proximity to church buildings.
- Economic restriction and supervision — prohibition on leasing church lands or selling sacred objects to Jews; ban on all commercial dealing with Jews on feast-days; prohibition on the use of Hebrew script or language in contracts with Christians; suppression of what is described as the “fraudulent and treacherous manner” of Jewish business and their “avarice gaping after the goods of others.”
- Compulsory marking — Jews of both sexes required to wear a saffron-coloured badge or cloth at all times and in all places, including while travelling.
- Suppression of Jewish worship — all Synagogues in a given city reduced to one; no new Synagogues to be built; no old ones to be repaired or enlarged; no Christian permitted to attend Jewish ceremonies in any location whatsoever.
- Supersessionism and enforced evangelisation — converts from Judaism forbidden to retain any rite of the Mosaic Law, forbidden to intermarry with one another, forbidden to associate with one another; all Jews in the diocese ordered to attend compulsory Christian preaching, children separated from parents for catechetical instruction.
- Theological enmity — the Cross publicly erected as a declaration that the faithful “have nothing in common with the enemies of the Cross of Christ — Jews, pagans, and heretics”; the constitution of Gregory XIII against Jewish “blasphemies and crimes” ordered to be promulgated in every diocese every year; a canonical penance of ten days’ bread and water imposed for eating with a Jew.
Thirty-five verified passages are presented below, ordered by their source council and thematic grouping. Each entry includes the original Latin text, an English translation, the precise source location, and a brief note.
I. “Iudaeis corrumpendi christianorum mores” — The Preamble: Purpose of the Jewish Regulations
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, tit. quae ad fidei tuendae studium pertinent, De Iudaeis
Latin
“VT quantum possumus, Iudaeis corrumpendi christianorum mores, & eis bona per fraudem auferendi occasionem adimamus; iplosque ad viam salutis traducere studentes, ex sacrorum etiam canonum decretis, edicimus.”
Translation
“So that we may, as far as we are able, take away from the Jews the opportunity of corrupting Christian morals and of fraudulently carrying off their goods; and striving to lead the Jews themselves onto the path of salvation, we decree the following, also from the decrees of the sacred canons.”
Note
The preamble accomplishes two things simultaneously: it frames the entire De Iudaeis section as protective legislation for Christians against Jewish corruption, and it frames it as missionary legislation for the benefit of the Jews themselves. The two rationales — defence of Christians and salvation of Jews — are held together throughout the decrees that follow.
II. “Pileum, seu biretum crocei coloris” — The Compulsory Jewish Badge
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ut Iudaei semper, & quocunque iter faciant; viri pileum, seu biretum crocei coloris; mulieres impositum reliquo capitis integumento, pannum eiusdem coloris ferant.”
Translation
“That Jews, always and wherever they travel, shall wear — men a cap or beret of saffron colour; women a cloth of the same colour placed over whatever other head-covering they wear.”
Note
The yellow badge requirement has a long canonical history stretching back to the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) and was repeatedly reissued by the popes of the Counter-Reformation, especially Paul IV (Cum nimis absurdum, 1555) and Pius V. Borromeo here incorporates it directly into provincial law, making its enforcement the responsibility of the diocesan bishop as well as the secular magistrate.
III. “Choreas cum Iudaeis agant” — Prohibition of All Social Mixing with Jews
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne christiani ad convivia, nuptias, vel dies festos, & synagogas Iudaeorum accedant; aut cum eis ludant; vel, quod detestabilius est, choreas cum Iudaeis agant.”
Translation
“Christians shall not attend the banquets, weddings, feast-days, or Synagogues of the Jews; nor play games with them; nor — what is most detestable — dance with Jews.”
Note
The ascending scale of prohibition — banquets, weddings, festivals, games — reaches its peak in the dance, qualified by the phrase quod detestabilius est (“what is most detestable”), indicating that physical, festive bodily contact between Christians and Jews was regarded as the gravest of the social infractions listed.
IV. “Ne Iudaeis christiani in famulatu esse possint” — Christians May Not Serve Jews
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne Iudaeis christiani in famulatu esse possint.”
Translation
“Christians may not be in service to Jews.”
Note
This is among the oldest of the canonical prohibitions against Jews, reproducing a restriction that appears in the Theodosian Code and was maintained throughout the medieval period. The concern is both theological — Christians should not be subordinate to those who reject Christ — and social, given the opportunity for religious influence that domestic service provides.
V. “Apud illos cibum capiant” — Christians May Not Eat in Jewish Households
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne christiani, si in diem, vel horam Iudaeis operas suas locaverint, apud illos cibum capiant.”
Translation
“Christians, if they have hired out their labour to Jews for a day or an hour, shall not take food in the Jews‘ houses.”
Note
The prohibition on sharing food with Jews has patristic roots and was formalised in numerous early medieval councils. Borromeo’s formulation is notably practical: it addresses the realistic situation of day-labourers who might take their meals at the house of their employer, closing what would otherwise be an obvious loophole.
VI. “Nutrices in eorum domibus esse ullo pacto possint” — Christian Women May Not Be Nurses in Jewish Households
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne christianae mulieres, Iudaeorum nutrices in eorum domibus esse ullo pacto possint. Nec vero extra eorum domos, nisi cum necessitas, Ordinario probanda, postularit.”
Translation
“Christian women may in no way be nurses of Jews in the Jews‘ houses. Nor indeed outside their houses either, unless necessity — to be approved by the Ordinary — should require it.”
Note
The prohibition on Christian wet-nurses in Jewish households was a canonical staple. The potential for a Jewish child to receive the milk of a Christian woman, and conversely for a Christian woman to bond with a Jewish family through nursing, were both considered spiritually and socially dangerous. The provision of an episcopal dispensation for cases of genuine necessity is characteristic of Borromeo’s administrative precision.
VII. “Iudaeos medendi causa ad se accersant” — Christians May Not Employ Jewish Physicians
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne christiani Iudaeos medendi causa ad se accersant.”
Translation
“Christians shall not call upon Jews for the purpose of medical treatment.”
Note
The prohibition on Jewish physicians treating Christians is one of the most frequently reiterated in the canonical tradition. The concern was twofold: the physician’s access to the intimate physical person of the patient created an opportunity for religious influence, and there was a persistent suspicion — given formal expression in numerous accusation narratives — that Jewish physicians might exploit this access to harm Christian patients.
VIII. “In coniungendis matrimoniis eorum opera utantur” — Christians May Not Use Jewish Marriage Brokers
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne in coniungendis inter se matrimoniis eorum opera utantur.”
Translation
“Christians shall not employ Jews‘ services in contracting marriages among themselves.”
Note
The use of Jewish intermediaries in the arrangement of Christian marriages would introduce a non-Christian party into the most intimate social institution of the parish. Borromeo’s prohibition reflects the broader concern, developed at length throughout the Acta, that Jewish involvement in any aspect of Christian domestic life constitutes a threat to the integrity of the faith.
IX. “Fuci, pigmentorum, aut ornandi se causa” — Christian Women May Not Use Jewish Cosmetics
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne christianae mulieres, Iudaeas fuci, pigmentorum, aut ornandi se causa adhibeant.”
Translation
“Christian women shall not have recourse to Jewish women for cosmetics, dyes, or for adorning themselves.”
Note
This decree extends the general principle of social separation into the specifically feminine domain of cosmetics and dress. The concern that Christian women might enter into close relationships of personal intimacy with Jewish women through the shared routines of beautification was treated as a genuine pastoral problem requiring explicit canonical prohibition.
X. “Agros, praedia ecclesiastica Iudaeis locari ne liceat” — Church Lands and Sacred Objects May Not Be Leased or Sold to Jews
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Agros, praedia ecclesiastica Iudaeis locari; vasa, vestes, aliave sacra, vel ad usum ecclesiae destinata, vendi, aut pignori dari ne liceat.”
Translation
“Fields and ecclesiastical estates shall not be leased to Jews; sacred vessels, vestments, or any other things sacred or destined for the use of the Church shall not be sold to them nor given as pledges.”
Note
This prohibition concerns the integrity of church property as well as the principle of separation. Sacred vessels and vestments that had been used in the liturgy were considered to carry a consecrated character that made their transfer to Jewish hands a form of desecration. The prohibition on leasing agricultural church lands to Jews also has an economic dimension, preventing the effective transfer of church revenues to Jewish tenants.
XI. “Ne in aedibus, quae ecclesiis vicinae sint, Iudaei habitent” — Jews May Not Live Adjacent to Churches
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne in aedibus, quae ecclesiis vicinae sint, Iudaei habitent; & si qui in eis nunc habitant, intra certum tempus omnino migrare cogantur.”
Translation
“Jews shall not dwell in buildings adjacent to churches; and if any now dwell in such, they shall be compelled to remove entirely within a fixed time.”
Note
The prohibition of Jewish residence near churches addresses concerns about noise, desecration, and the visibility of Jewish domestic life from sacred spaces. Those already in violation are to be forcibly relocated within a fixed period, indicating that this was a directive intended to produce real physical results rather than simply to record a principle.
XII. “Ne christiani cum Iudaeis in diebus festis contrahere audeant” — No Commerce with Jews on Feast-Days
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne christiani cum Iudaeis in diebus festis, emptionibus, venditionibus, vel alio nomine contrahere audeant.”
Translation
“Christians shall not dare to enter into contracts with Jews on feast-days, whether by way of purchase, sale, or under any other title.”
Note
The comprehensive nature of this prohibition — “under any other title” — reflects the concern that commercial dealings with Jews on feast-days would constitute a practical profanation of the sacred time, as well as an implicit social endorsement of those who did not observe the Christian sacred calendar.
XIII. “Ne tribus ante Pascha diebus Iudaei in publicum prodeant” — Jews Confined During the Three Days Before Easter
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne tribus ante Pascha diebus Iudaei in publicum prodeant; neque quidquam palam, vel secreto in contemptionem christianae religionis facere audeant.”
Translation
“For the three days before Easter the Jews shall not come out in public; nor shall they dare to do anything, openly or secretly, in contempt of the Christian religion.”
Note
The three-day Passiontide confinement is one of the most significant decrees in the Jewish regulatory tradition. The fear that Jews might engage in acts of contempt against Christianity during the very days commemorating the Passion — acts secret as well as public — drives the comprehensive scope of the prohibition, which covers even interior intention. The decree reflects the theological weight of the Passion as the defining event in the relationship between Jewish rejection and Christian faith.
XIV. “Dignitatem, vel publicum officium Iudaei non obtineant” — Jews Barred from Public Office
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne dignitatem, vel publicum officium, quod ad christianos pertinere aliquo modo possit, Iudaei obtineant.”
Translation
“Jews shall not hold any dignity or public office which could in any way belong to Christians.”
Note
The comprehensive phrasing — “which could in any way belong to Christians” — makes this a near-total exclusion from public life. The theological basis is the incompatibility of Jewish rejection of Christ with the exercise of authority over Christians in a Christian commonwealth.
XV. “Poenis contra christianos & Iudaeos actionibus constitutis” — Enforcement by Bishops, Princes, and Magistrates
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Haec, & reliqua, quae de christianorum cum Iudaeis consuetudine sacris canonibus constituuntur, curent Episcopi, & principes, ac magistratus, pro sua quisque auctoritatis munere, poenis contra christianos & Iudaeos actionibus constitutis, ut inviolate serventur.”
Translation
“These and the remaining provisions established by the sacred canons concerning the intercourse of Christians with Jews, the Bishops, princes, and magistrates shall each according to the measure of their authority take care to have inviolably observed, by means of the penalties laid down against both Christians and Jews.”
Note
This enforcement clause is remarkable in directing penalties against Christians as well as Jews — the De Iudaeis legislation is conceived not only as a set of restrictions on the Jews but as a discipline binding on the Christian population, whose tendency to social mixing with Jews is treated as an equal or greater part of the problem.
XVI. “Iudaei separatim a christianis habitaturi conveniant” — Princes Urged to Establish the Ghetto
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Vehementer etiam a principibus petimus, ut in singulis civitatibus certum locum constituant, ubi Iudaei separatim a christianis habitaturi conveniant. Et si quas proprias aedes Iudaei in civitate habent; intra sex menses eas vere, non autem simulato contractu, christianis vendi iubeant.”
Translation
“We urgently ask the princes as well that in each city they establish a fixed quarter where Jews are to dwell separately from Christians. And if the Jews own any private dwellings in the city, they shall be ordered to sell them to Christians within six months, genuinely and not by a fictitious contract.”
Note
The ghetto demand is addressed to civil princes rather than ecclesiastical authorities because Borromeo recognised that its enforcement required coercive secular power. The requirement that Jewish sales of private property to Christians be genuine — not fictitious transactions designed to maintain de facto Jewish ownership — reflects awareness of the legal stratagems Jews had developed in response to similar mandates elsewhere.
XVII. “Characteribus hebraeis utantur” — Jews Forbidden to Use Hebrew in Contracts with Christians
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Illud praeterea pro sua pietate principes statuere debebunt, ut Iudaei in quibusvis contractibus, & negotiis, quae cum christianis habuerint, in libris suis conscribendis, literis, & lingua vulgari nostra, non autem sermone, aut characteribus hebraeis utantur. Si secus fecerint, severe puniantur, nullumque inde ius eis esse possit agendi, vel excipiendi.”
Translation
“The princes ought moreover in their piety to ordain that Jews in all contracts and business dealings which they have with Christians, when keeping their books, shall use our common script and vernacular language and not the Hebrew tongue or Hebrew characters. If they act otherwise, they shall be severely punished, and no right of action or exception shall arise from it for them.”
Note
The prohibition on Hebrew script in commercial dealings with Christians is a practical regulatory measure: Jewish-language records were opaque to Christian parties and to civil courts, creating opportunities for fraud. The sanction — complete nullification of any legal claim or defence arising from such records — is an unusually severe remedy that goes beyond a mere fine to strike at the commercial capacity of the offending party.
XVIII. “Fraudulentam & insidiosam Iudaeorum rationem” — Jewish Fraudulence and Avarice to Be Suppressed
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Omni denique diligentia illos in eo eniti aequum erit, ut fraudulentam, & insidiosam Iudaeorum cum christianis contrahendi rationem, & eorum facultatibus inhiantem avaritiam comprimant, & coercant.”
Translation
“With all diligence it will be fitting for them to strive in this, that they may suppress and restrain the fraudulent and treacherous manner in which the Jews conduct business with Christians, and their avarice gaping after the goods of others.”
Note
This passage offers the most explicit characterological statement in the De Iudaeis section, describing Jewish commercial behaviour not as the product of individual bad actors but as a systematic, collectively characteristic mode — fraudulentam & insidiosam rationem — driven by an avarice that is inhians (gaping, rapacious). The language moves beyond regulation into the register of moral description.
XIX. “Iudaeis praedicandam” — Preaching Christianity to Jews; Obligatory Attendance
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Monemus vero Episcopos, ut ab hominibus piis ac peritis linguae hebraicae, & rituum Iudaeorum, vel si huiusmodi non reperiantur, ab aliis doctis, ac bonis viris curent fidem, ac doctrinam christianam Iudaeis praedicandam. Ad eas conciones Iudaei omnes iussi conveniant; sed pueri, ac puellae seorsum a parentibus atque aliis maioribus natu, concionatorem audiant: qui ipsos familiariter instituat, & interrogantibus benigne satisfaciat.”
Translation
“We warn the Bishops, moreover, that they see to it — through men who are pious and learned in the Hebrew language and the rites of the Jews, or if such are not to be found, through other learned and good men — that the Faith and Christian doctrine be preached to the Jews. To these sermons all Jews shall be ordered to come; but the boys and girls shall hear the preacher apart from their parents and the other elders, so that he may instruct them familiarly and answer their questions with kindness.”
Note
The separation of children from parents during compulsory Christian sermons is one of the most coercive provisions of this section. Borromeo’s intent appears to be that children, removed from parental oversight, would be more susceptible to conversion. The pastoral tone — familiariter, benigne — sits in sharp contrast with the compulsory character of the attendance.
XX. “Ne cum Iudaeis ullam omnino consuetudinem habeant” — Converts from Judaism Forbidden All Contact with Jews
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne cum Iudaeis ullam omnino consuetudinem habeant.”
Translation
“[Baptised converts from Judaism] shall have absolutely no intercourse whatsoever with Jews.”
Note
This decree addresses the particular pastoral concern that converts from Judaism might relapse into Jewish practice through continued contact with the Jewish community. The absolute character of the prohibition — ullam omnino — leaves no room for any form of association, including family contact.
XXI. “Perniciosae eorum consuetudini atque divini cultus offensionibus occurreretur” — Fourth Council Preamble: Pernicious Customs and Offences Against Divine Worship
Source: Fourth Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“DE IUDAEIS concilio provinciali primo multa cavimus, quibus haec addenda statuimus, quo diligentius etiam perniciosae eorum consuetudini, atque divini cultus offensionibus occurreretur.”
Translation
“Concerning the Jews we made many provisions in the First Provincial Council, to which we have now decided to add these further measures, so that their pernicious habits and their offences against divine worship may be dealt with yet more diligently.”
Note
The characterisation of Jewish customs as perniciosae (pernicious, destructive) and of Jewish practices as offensiones divini cultus (offences against divine worship) provides the moral rationale for the Fourth Council’s additional restrictions, framed not as innovation but as more diligent application of the same principles as the First Council.
XXII. “Ad Christianorum hominum fidei integritatem & morum puritatem” — Papal Bulls on Jewish Life Cited; Faith and Morals of Christians at Stake
Source: Fourth Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Quod olim summorum Pontificum constitutionibus, & praesertim Pauli Quarti, & Pii Quinti, qui eiusdem Pauli sanctionem literis xiii. Calen. Maii M D L X V I. editis rennovavit & auxit, sanctitum fuit de vita & habitatione Iudaeorum, cum ad Christianorum hominum fidei integritatem, & morum puritatem tuendam valde pertineat…”
Translation
“What was long ago ordained by the constitutions of the Supreme Pontiffs, and especially by Paul IV and Pius V — who renewed and enlarged the same sanction of Paul in letters issued on the 13th of the Kalends of May 1566 — concerning the life and dwelling of the Jews, inasmuch as it greatly pertains to guarding the integrity of Faith and the purity of morals among Christian men…”
Note
The explicit citation of Paul IV’s Cum nimis absurdum (1555) — the foundational document of the Counter-Reformation ghetto system — and Pius V’s renewal of it grounds Borromeo’s decrees in a continuous line of papal authority. The phrase fidei integritatem & morum puritatem tuendam (guarding the integrity of faith and the purity of morals) states the ultimate theological purpose of all the Jewish regulatory legislation.
XXIII. “Nulla in re Mosaici legis ritus retineant” — Converts from Judaism Must Reject All Mosaic Rites
Source: Fourth Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Nulla in re Mosaici legis ritus retineant, aut sectentur.”
Translation
“[Baptised converts from Judaism] shall in nothing retain or follow the rites of the Mosaic Law.”
Note
This is one of the most direct supersessionist declarations in the Acta. The Mosaic Law, in its ritual dimension, is treated as entirely abolished by baptism: a convert who retains any of its practices is implicitly denying the sufficiency of Christian baptism and the fulfilment of the Old Covenant in Christ. The absolute character of the prohibition — nulla in re (in nothing) — admits no accommodation.
XXIV. “Non inter se contrahant, sed cum iis qui a christianis antiquam originem ducunt” — Converts from Judaism Must Not Intermarry Among Themselves
Source: Fourth Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Aliquam quoque cautionem adhibere curet Episcopus, ut hi homines cum matrimonium ineunt, non inter se contrahant, sed cum iis, qui a christianis antiquam perpetuamque originem ducunt.”
Translation
“The Bishop shall also take care to apply some precaution so that these persons [converts from Judaism], when they contract marriage, do not do so among themselves, but with those who draw their ancient and perpetual lineage from Christians.”
Note
This decree introduces a genealogical dimension into the regulation of converts: it is not sufficient that they be baptised; they must also be integrated into Christian lineages through intermarriage, and prevented from forming a distinct converso community with its own endogamous bonds. The phrase antiquam perpetuamque originem (ancient and perpetual lineage) invokes an idea of Christian ancestry rooted in generations of faith.
XXV. “Ne inter se multam consuetudinem habeant” — Converts from Judaism Must Not Associate with One Another
Source: Fourth Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne inter se item multam consuetudinem habeant, ut Pontificia sanctione cavetur.”
Translation
“Nor shall they keep much intercourse among themselves, as is provided for by pontifical decree.”
Note
This decree complements the intermarriage prohibition by breaking up convert communities at the social level. The combined effect of the two decrees — no intermarriage among converts, no social association among converts — is to atomise the converso community and prevent its survival as a distinct social entity, dispersing it into the broader Christian population.
XXVI. “Si complures Synagogas habent, tollantur omnino” — All Synagogues But One to Be Suppressed
Source: Fifth Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis (incorporating Cum nimis absurdum of Paul IV and Hebraeorum gens of Pius V)
Latin
“…in civitate, oppido, pago, locove ubi Iudaei habitant, si complures Synagogas habent, seu domos ad synagogae officium iam adhibent, tollantur omnino, cessantque omnes una tantum excepta; quae tamen ab ecclesiis fidelium distet.”
Translation
“…in the city, town, village, or place where Jews dwell, if they have several Synagogues, or houses already employed for the purpose of the Synagogue, all shall be entirely suppressed and abolished except one only; which one however shall stand apart from the churches of the faithful.”
Note
The suppression of multiple Synagogues to a single permitted one follows directly from Pius V’s Hebraeorum gens (1569) and reproduces a provision of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215). The requirement that even the remaining Synagogue stand at a distance from Christian churches frames Jewish worship as inherently incompatible with Christian sacred space rather than merely as a rival institution.
XXVII. “Novas construere ne patiatur; veteres altius extolli ne patiatur” — No New Synagogues to Be Built or Old Ones Enlarged
Source: Fifth Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“At vero novas construere constituereque, aut penitus diruta reficere ne patiatur: neque rursus veteres altius extolli, aut amplificari, aut magnificentius aliquo modo exaedificari.”
Translation
“But he shall not permit new Synagogues to be built or established, nor those entirely demolished to be repaired; nor again shall the old ones be raised higher, or enlarged, or rebuilt in any more magnificent manner.”
Note
The prohibition on rebuilding demolished Synagogues is particularly striking: once a Synagogue has fallen, it may not be restored. The prohibition on making existing Synagogues taller or more magnificent reflects the concern that Jewish religious buildings should not visually compete with or overshadow Christian churches.
XXVIII. “Ne in conspectu ecclesiae constituere habitareve patiatur” — Jews to Be Confined to the Ghetto, Away from Church Buildings
Source: Fifth Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“…ut Iudaei in uno & eodem loco urbis locive, ac si ille capax non erit, in duobus, aut tribus, qui inter se continentes sint, & a christianorum habitationibus seiuncti, ad praescriptum illarum constitutionum habitent; domicilium vero non solum proximum, sed ne in conspectu quidem ecclesiae, oratoriive, quo populus convenire soleat, constituere, habitareve ullo modo patiatur.”
Translation
“…that Jews shall dwell in one and the same quarter of the city or place, or — if it cannot hold them — in two or three contiguous quarters, separated from Christian dwellings, according to the prescription of those constitutions; and he shall not permit them in any way to establish or maintain a domicile not only close to, but not even in the sight of, a church or oratory to which the people are accustomed to gather.”
Note
The phrase ne in conspectu quidem (not even within sight) represents the most spatially precise formulation of the separation principle in the Acta. Not mere proximity but visibility is the standard: Jews are to be placed beyond the line of sight from Christian worship.
XXIX. “Signum semper patens ferant” — Jews to Wear a Distinguishing Badge at All Times
Source: Fifth Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ut mares & feminae signum semper patens ferant, quo in urbibus, municipiis, locisve omnibus, atque adeo in itinere dignoscantur ad earum constitutionum praescriptum.”
Translation
“That males and females shall always wear a visible sign, by which they may be recognised in cities, towns, and all places, and even when travelling, according to the prescription of those constitutions.”
Note
The badge decree is restated in the Fifth Council in terms that explicitly extend to travel, closing any argument that the requirement applied only within the city limits. The phrase signum semper patens (a sign always visible) means that the badge may not be concealed under outer clothing.
XXX. “Opus quidquam servile mundanumve publice ne faciant” — Jews May Not Work in Public on Christian Feast-Days
Source: Fifth Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Ne Dominicis, vel aliis festis diebus, quos coli & sanctificari praecepti consuetudine est, Iudaei opus quidquam servile mundanumve publice per se ipsos seu alios faciant.”
Translation
“On Sundays or other feast-days, which by precept and custom are to be observed and kept holy, Jews shall not perform any servile or secular work publicly, either by themselves or through others.”
Note
This decree imposes Christian sacred time on Jews within the Milanese province: not only must Jews refrain from working on their own Sabbath (Saturday), they must also visibly refrain from working on the Christian Sunday and feast-days. The inclusion of “through others” prevents the use of non-Jewish employees or subcontractors as proxies.
XXXI. “Nec fidelis quisquam in eorum synagogis ullo modo intersit” — The Faithful Forbidden to Attend Jewish Ceremonies
Source: Fifth Provincial Council, Pars I, De Iudaeis
Latin
“Nec vero fidelis quisquam in eorum synagogis ullo modo, ut eo primo Concilio vetitum est, sed neque ullo vero usquam loco eorundem caeremoniis intersit.”
Translation
“Nor shall any of the faithful attend in any way in the Jews‘ Synagogues — as was forbidden by that first Council — nor indeed anywhere at all their ceremonies.”
Note
The extension from Synagogues to any location — ullo usquam loco — closes the possibility of attending Jewish ceremonies held outside formal Synagogue buildings, such as domestic celebrations. The reference back to the First Council’s prohibition reinforces the cumulative and intensifying character of the Borromean Jewish legislation across the six councils.
XXXII. “Iudaeorum blasphemiis & flagitiis” — The Gregory XIII Constitution on Jewish Blasphemies to Be Promulgated Every Year
Source: Sixth Provincial Council, Pars I (appending the Constitution of Gregory XIII, 1 January 1583)
Latin
“GRAVIS illa sanctio, qua summus Pontifex Gregorius XIII. Iudaeorum blasphemiis & flagitiis obviam ire voluit, in omni nostra Provincia, praesertim ubi Iudaeos habitare permissum est, quotannis non semel atque iterum, sed etiam saepe numero, prout Episcopus opus esse censuerit, de more promulgetur.”
Translation
“That grave sanction by which the Supreme Pontiff Gregory XIII desired to oppose the blasphemies and crimes of the Jews, shall in our entire Province — especially where Jews are permitted to dwell — be promulgated in the customary manner every year, not once or twice only, but as often as the Bishop judges it necessary.”
Note
Gregory XIII’s constitution of 1 January 1583 (Antiqua Iudaeorum improbitas) addressed the content of the Talmud and other Jewish writings, characterising them as containing blasphemies against Christ and the Virgin. Borromeo directs that it be read publicly in every diocese at the bishop’s discretion — not once but repeatedly — making opposition to Jewish “blasphemies and crimes” a regular feature of diocesan public life.
XXXIII. “Fideles cum inimicis Crucis Christi, Iudaeis, Ethnicis & Haereticis nihil habere commune” — The Cross as Public Sign Declaring That Christians Have Nothing in Common with Jews, Pagans, and Heretics
Source: First Provincial Council, Pars I, tit. de sacris imaginibus
Latin
“…tanquam & praeclarum populi Christiani trophaeum, & clarissimum divinae misericordiae monimentum, & sempiternum denique testimonium, quo palam fieret, fideles cum inimicis Crucis Christi, Iudaeis, Ethnicis, & Haereticis nihil habere commune; sed contra eos omnes libere profiteri, quem colunt Dominum Iesum, & hunc Crucifixum.”
Translation
“…as both a glorious trophy of the Christian people, and a most illustrious monument of divine mercy, and finally an everlasting testimony by which it should be made plain for all to see that the faithful have nothing in common with the enemies of the Cross of Christ — Jews, Pagans, and Heretics — but on the contrary profess freely against all of them the Lord Jesus whom they worship, and Him Crucified.”
Note
This passage is among the most theologically explicit in the entire Acta concerning the Jewish-Christian relationship. The Jews are named, alongside pagans and heretics, as inimici Crucis Christi — enemies of the Cross of Christ. The public erection of wayside crosses throughout the Milanese province is mandated as a permanent civic declaration of this enmity, transforming the landscape itself into a statement of Christian separation from and opposition to the Jewish people.
XXXIV. “Qui cum Iudaeo cibum sumpserit” — Ten Days’ Penance for Eating with a Jew
Source: Liber Poenitentialis antiquus, incorporated into the diocesan synodal decrees
Latin
“Qui cum Iudaeo cibum sumpserit; poenitens erit dies decem, pane & aqua victitans.”
Translation
“Whoever shall have taken food with a Jew shall do penance for ten days, living on bread and water.”
Note
This penitential canon is drawn from the ancient canonical tradition — it appears in the Collectio Vetus Gallica and related early medieval penitential books — and its incorporation into the diocesan synodal material of the Acta gives it renewed force as part of Borromeo’s comprehensive system. The penance — ten days on bread and water — is a serious sanction, equivalent in the same penitential lists to several other categories of ritual or moral transgression.
XXXV. “Iudaeos, infideles, haereticos non patietur praesentes adesse” — Jews, Infidels, and Heretics Barred from the Sacraments
Source: Instructio Parochi, rubrics for the administration of the sacraments
Latin
“Iudaeos autem, infideles, haereticos, & excommunicatos non patietur in sacramentorum administratione praesentes adesse.”
Translation
“Jews, infidels, heretics, and excommunicates he shall not permit to be present at the administration of the Sacraments.”
Note
The placing of Jews in a four-part list alongside infidels, heretics, and the excommunicated defines their liturgical status precisely: they are categorically excluded from the sacred space of sacramental action, equivalent in this respect to those who have been formally separated from the Church by excommunication. The decree applies to all seven sacraments and makes the sacramental life of the Church an exclusively Christian domain.
Sources
- Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis, a Carolo Cardinali S. Praxedis Archiepiscopo condita, Federici Cardinalis Borromaei iussu collecta & edita. Milan: ex Officina Typographica quon. Pacifici Pontii, 1599. Digital scan: https://archive.org/details/actaecclesiaemed01cath