Paolo Segneri, S.J. (1624–1694) was one of the most celebrated Italian preachers of the seventeenth century and one of the most renowned members of the Society of Jesus. He was confessor to Pope Innocent XI. His principal works are the Quaresimale (Lenten Sermons), the Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge (The Christian Instructed in His Law), and the Panegirici Sacri (Sacred Panegyrics). The passages below are drawn from confirmed quotations in those works.
I. The Jews as Reprobates Who Will Not Hear the Word of God
Source: Quaresimale, Predica IV (Nel primo Mercoledì di Quaresima)
Original Italian:
“Che quando poi volle spiegare il sommo de’ mali ai quali erano giunti i perversi Ebrei, nominoli! figliuoli indisciplinati, figliuoli che non volevano udire la divina legge, filli nolentes audire legem Dei (Isai. 30, 9), quasi che ciò non altro fosse che un dichiararli perduti.”
English Translation:
“When [Isaiah] wished to describe the summit of the evils to which the perverse Jews had come, he named them undisciplined children, children who would not hear the divine law — filli nolentes audire legem Dei (Isaiah 30:9) — as if this were nothing other than declaring them lost.”
II. The Words of Christ to the Wretched Jews
Source: Quaresimale, Predica IV (Nel primo Mercoledì di Quaresima)
Original Italian:
“Qui ex Deo est, verba Dei audit; furon parole dette ai miseri Ebrei: propterea vos non auditis, quia ex Deo non estis (Joan. 8, 47). […] questa è la strada, la quale comunemente ha Dio stabilita a salvare gli eletti, che sentano predicarsi la verità.”
English Translation (compare File 2, James Ford’s published translation):
“He that is of God, heareth God’s words; these were words addressed to the wretched Jews: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God (St. John 8:47). […] this is the path which God has commonly established to save the elect — that they should hear the truth preached to them.”
III. The Divine Punishment of the Contumacious Jews
Source: Quaresimale, Predica XV (Nel Venerdì dopo la II Domenica)
Original Italian:
“Ah contumacissimi Ebrei! Nuniquid super gentem hujuscemodi non ulciscetur anima mea, dicit Dominus (Jer. 29). Date un poco di tempo al furor divino, e di poi vedrete.”
English Translation:
“Ah, most contumacious Jews! Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this, saith the Lord? (Jer. 29). Give a little time to the divine fury, and you shall see.”
IV. The Jews: Most Abject and Abhorred People in the World
Source: Quaresimale, Predica XX (Nel Giovedì dopo la III Domenica)
Original Italian:
“[Cristo si è valuto] non d’altro, che della lingua di dodici pescatori, scalzi, mendici, illitterati, spregevoli, e, quel che è peggio, Giudei, cioè di una gente allora al mondo abbiettissima e abborritissima.”
English Translation:
“[Christ availed Himself] of nothing other than the tongues of twelve fishermen, barefoot, beggarly, illiterate, contemptible, and — what is worse — Jews, that is, a people then most abject and most abhorred in the world.”
V. The Christian Ashamed of His Faith — But Not the Jew of His
Source: Quaresimale, Predica XX (Nel Giovedì dopo la III Domenica)
Original Italian:
“Nominatemi un uomo di qualunque altra abbominevole setta, il quale ancora nel suo paese medesimo, tra’ suoi popoli, si vergogni di professarla. Non si vergogna nè il Turco di usar da Turco, nè il Giudeo di far da Giudeo, nè il Gentile di vivere da Gentile; solo il Cristiano io ritrovo, che si vergogna di trattarsi da Cristiano.”
English Translation:
“Name me a man of whatever other abominable sect who, even in his own country and among his own people, is ashamed to profess it. Neither the Turk is ashamed to act like a Turk, nor the Jew to act like a Jew, nor the Gentile to live as a Gentile; only the Christian do I find who is ashamed to conduct himself as a Christian.”
VI. Why the Nazarenes Became So Perfidious Toward Christ — Applied to All Jews
Source: Quaresimale, Predica XVIII (Nel Lunedì dopo la III Domenica)
Original Italian:
“Qual cosa, se ben rimirasi, fu mai quella che li rendette sì perversi, sì perfidi verso Cristo? Sapete quale? Il sospetto ch’ebbero di lui, non come di amico, ma come d’emolo. […] sentirono, com’egli, rimproverando le sceleraggini loro, parea che minacciasse dover la vera religione passare dal Giudaismo nel Gentilesimo; e però tosto si levarono in armi contro di lui. Et repleti sunt ira, eo quod visus esset Christus significare, gratiam Dei a Judaeis transferendam ad Gentes.“
English Translation:
“What was the thing which, if one looks well, made them so perverse, so perfidious toward Christ? Do you know what it was? The suspicion they conceived of Him — not as a friend, but as a rival. […] they perceived that He, by rebuking their wickedness, seemed to threaten that true religion would pass from Judaism to the Gentiles; and so they straightway took up arms against Him. And they were filled with wrath, because Christ seemed to signify that the grace of God would be transferred from the Jews to the Gentiles.“
VII. The Deicide: The Instrument of the Death of the Only-Begotten
Source: Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge, Parte Terza, Ragionamento XV
Original Italian:
“Il Figliuolo dato a morte è l’Unigenito del Padre Eterno, il nostro Redentore Gesù, ricrocifisso ogni tratto, come l’Apostolo dice, da’ peccatori: e l’istrumento per cui si effettuò questo Deicidio, fu quella donna amata da voi più che Dio stesso.”
English Translation:
“The Son given to death is the Only-Begotten of the Eternal Father, our Redeemer Jesus, continually re-crucified, as the Apostle says, by sinners: and the instrument by which this Deicide was accomplished was that woman loved by you more than God Himself.”
VIII. The Body of Christ: Scandal to the Jews and Target of Their Cruelty
Source: Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge, Parte Terza, Ragionamento IV
Original Italian (cleaner version from Vol. VI):
“Le chiese succedessero al Calvario, e gli altari alla croce, affinchè quella carne che era stata lo scandalo de’ Giudei ed il bersaglio della lor crudeltà, fosse oggi un segno dove principalmente andasse a mirare la divozione de’ Fedeli, detestatori della perfidia Giudaica.”
English Translation:
“Churches should succeed to Calvary, and altars to the Cross, so that that flesh which had been the scandal of the Jews and the target of their cruelty should today be a sign at which chiefly the devotion of the Faithful — detestors of Jewish perfidy — should be directed.”
IX. Christ Universally Repaid with Ingratitude by the Jews
Source: Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge, Parte Terza, Ragionamento XI
Original Italian:
“Quantunque il nostro Signor Gesù Cristo fosse rimeritato universalmente con somma ingratitudine da’ Giudei; tuttavia io non ritruovo che di niuno altro sconoscente mai si dolesse, se non di que’ nove lebbrosi, i quali guariti non tornarono a ringraziarlo.”
English Translation:
“Although our Lord Jesus Christ was universally repaid with the utmost ingratitude by the Jews, nevertheless I find that He never complained of any other ungrateful person but only of those nine lepers who, having been healed, did not return to thank Him.”
X. Christians Re-enact the Injuries of the Passion Inflicted by the Jews
Source: Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge, Parte Terza, Ragionamento IX
Original Italian:
“Il Padre Eterno […] scorge che i Cristiani stessi rinuovano contro di lui le ingiurie più atroci della Passione arrecatagli dagli Ebrei: Rursus crucifigentes Filium Dei.“
English Translation:
“The Eternal Father […] sees that the very Christians renew against Him the most atrocious injuries of the Passion inflicted upon Him by the Jews: Crucifying again the Son of God.“
XI. The Apostate Priest Cries with the Impious Jews: “His Blood Be Upon Us”
Source: Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge, Parte Terza, Ragionamento VII
Original Italian:
“[Il sacerdote apostata] giunse fino a quest’atto: di celebrare più volte la santa messa ad onore del suo demonio assistente; e dopo avere calpestata co’ piedi propii l’Ostia da sé consacrata, darla a mangiare a’ suoi bracchi; e dopo aver versato il santissimo sangue sopra le toste di altri stregoni minori, alzar la voce per disprezzo, e gridare con gli empii Ebrei: Sanguis eius super nos, sanguis eius super nos (Matth. 27, 23): Venga puro il sangue di Cristo su tutti noi.”
English Translation:
“[The apostate priest] went so far as this: to celebrate Holy Mass several times in honour of his attending demon; and after having trampled underfoot with his own feet the Host he had consecrated, to give it to his hounds to eat; and after having poured the most holy Blood over the heads of other lesser sorcerers, to raise his voice in contempt and cry out with the impious Jews: His blood be upon us, his blood be upon us (Matt. 27:23): Let the blood of Christ come down upon all of us.”
XII. The Most Abominable Assembly Ever Held on Earth — The Sanhedrin Against Christ
Source: Quaresimale (Second Series / Panegirici), Predica Prima
Original Italian:
“Non fu mai su la Terra, nè vi sarà adunanza più detestabile di quella sì bene espressa nel Vangelo. Perché incominciò dallo smodato amor di sè, mirate dov’ella giunse! Non solo giunse fino al disprezzo di Dio, usque ad contemptum Dei […] ma fino al condannamelo. […] quella gran Sala, dove poc’anzi si adunò il meglio della Repubblica Ebrea, mi comparisce come una Caverna infernale, dove occultamente si mediti, se si può, lo sconvolgimento di tutte le cose, divine insieme, ed umane.”
English Translation:
“Never on Earth was there, nor shall there be, an assembly more detestable than that so well described in the Gospel. Because it began from immoderate self-love — see how far it went! It went not only as far as contempt for God, usque ad contemptum Dei […] but to condemnation of Him. […] that great Hall, where so recently the best of the Hebrew Republic had assembled, appears to me like an infernal Cavern, where the overthrow of all things — divine and human together — is secretly plotted.”
XIII. The Jews‘ Folly in the Council Against Christ: Lost by the Very Means They Sought Safety
Source: Quaresimale (Second Series), Predica Prima, §II–III
Original Italian:
“Il fine, che hebbero i Convocarori di un tal Concilio fu doppio. L’uno fu provvedere alla loro autorità sì mancante per l’animosa predicazione di Cristo […] L’altro fu stabilire quel poco avanzo di podestà temporale, che loro era rimasto sotto l’Imperio Romano. Perciocché mirando essi, quanto la moltitudine dietro Cristo inondasse ogni giorno più, entrarono in sospetto grave, che Roma, ingelosita di tanto seguito, quasi ordinato a fare in Gerosolima nuovo Rè, distinto da Cesare, prendesse quindi occasione di volerne tutto il governo soggetto a sé, fino a forza d’arme.”
English Translation:
“The aim which the conveners of this Council had was twofold. The one was to provide for their authority, so much undermined by the bold preaching of Christ […] The other was to secure that little remnant of temporal power which remained to them under the Roman Empire. For seeing how the multitude flooded ever more after Christ each day, they conceived a grave suspicion that Rome, made jealous by so great a following — as if a new King, distinct from Caesar, were being set up in Jerusalem — would thence take occasion to subject all their government to herself, even by force of arms.”
XIV. The Jews Knew Not Their Messiah on Account of Pride
Source: Quaresimale (Second Series / Panegirici), Predica Terza (Nel Mercoledì dopo la prima Domenica dell’Avvento)
Original Italian:
“Ar cosa ammirabilissima, che non facendosi altro nelle divine Scritture, che favellare del futuro Messia, quasi ad ogni foglio, descrivendosi, disegnandosi, e dandosi tanti indizi da riconoscerlo alla sua felice venuta, con tuttociò quando poi venne, gli Ebrei non lo conoscessero: Si enim cognovissent, numquam Dominum gloriae crucifixissent. La cagione di non conoscerlo fu senza dubbio l’invidia, l’ira, l’orgoglio, da cui tutti erano dominati i dotti di Gerosolima: ondò, che gl’infelici furono al fine rei di quello medesimo, di non lo aver conosciuto, siccome è reo di non conoscere il Sole, chi serra gli occhi lividi a tanta luce.”
English Translation:
“It is a most admirable thing that, although the divine Scriptures speak of nothing but the future Messiah, almost on every page, describing Him, delineating Him, and giving so many tokens by which He might be recognized at His happy coming, nevertheless when He came, the Jews did not recognize Him: For had they known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. The cause of their not knowing Him was beyond doubt the envy, the anger, the pride, by which all the learned of Jerusalem were dominated: so that the unhappy ones were in the end guilty of that very thing — of not having known Him — as he is guilty of not knowing the sun who with livid eyes closes them against so great a light.”
XV. The Proud Jews Refused to Recognize Their Messiah as a Preacher of the Poor
Source: Quaresimale (Second Series / Panegirici), Predica Terza
Original Italian:
“Gli Ebrei superbi, invaghitisi di quel lustro che consisteva in avere un Messia regnante su trono di Maestà, negarono a viva forza di riconoscerlo sotto portamento di Rè, non solamente incognito, ma dimesso, qual era quello di puro Predicatore de’ Poverelli.”
English Translation:
“The proud Jews, enamoured of that lustre which consisted in having a Messiah reigning on a throne of Majesty, refused by main force to acknowledge Him under the bearing of a King not only unknown but lowly — such as was that of a mere Preacher of the Poor.”
XVI. The Samaritans Destined to Confound the Obstinate Jews at the Final Judgment
Source: Quaresimale (Second Series / Panegirici), Predica Decima
Original Italian:
“Fu quella certamente una Grazia non usitata, che il Signore diede a quei buoni Samaritani, destinati a confondere tanto più, nel Giudizio finale, gli Ebrei protervi, che nè pure dopo tanti miracoli di malattie discacciate, di morti debellate, di tempeste acquietate, gli voller credere.”
English Translation:
“That was certainly an unusual Grace which the Lord bestowed upon those good Samaritans, destined to confound all the more, at the Final Judgment, the obstinate Jews, who — even after so many miracles of diseases driven away, of the dead overcome, of storms quieted — would not believe in Him.”
XVII. The Jews Mourning Jerusalem: Buying Their Own Tears, Having Once Bought Christ’s Blood
Source: Quaresimale (Second Series / Panegirici), Predica XXVIII, §VI
Original Italian:
“Era a’ tempi di San Girolamo vietato severamente a tutti i Giudèi di por piede in Gierufalemme, trattone il giorno intitolato del Pianto: ch’era per appunto il dì Anniversario di quella luttuosa giornata, in cui le Legioni Romane, dentro inondatevi a bandiere spiegate ed a ferri nudi, vi recarono il grand’eccidio. Ma né meno quel dì si permetteva liberamente agli Ebrei di entrare in quella Città a fare un tal pianto, se non isborfavano prima una grossa paga. Però havreste veduto quegl’infelici non perdonare a danaro per haver agio di lagrimare a lor voglia: Disponendo la Divina Giustizia mirabilmente così, perchè arrivasse a comperar le lagrime propie, chi haveva osato comprare il sangue Divino. Et ut eius fata luant ruinam Civitatis precio redeamus: qui quondam emerant sanguinem Christi, emant nunc lacrimas suas.“
English Translation:
“In the time of St. Jerome it was severely forbidden to all the Jews to set foot in Jerusalem, except on the day called the Day of Mourning: which was precisely the Anniversary of that mournful day on which the Roman Legions, flooding in with flying colours and naked steel, wrought the great slaughter there. But even on that day the Jews were not freely permitted to enter the city to perform their mourning without first paying a heavy fee. So you would have seen those unhappy ones sparing no money in order to have the opportunity to weep at will: Divine Justice disposing it wonderfully thus, that those who had once presumed to buy the Blood of God should come to buy their own tears. And that to pay for the ruin of the city, they should have to come back to it by purchase: they who once had bought the blood of Christ should now buy their own tears.“
XVIII. The Obstinate Jews: “For the Loss of a Mere Earthly Temple They Felt Such Atrocious Grief”
Source: Quaresimale (Second Series / Panegirici), Predica XXVIII, §VI
Original Italian:
“Gran cosa! Per la perdita sol di un Tempio terreno sentivano i protervi Giudei sì atroce rammarico, che contentavansi di comprare a gran prezzo l’agio di piangerla; nè dubitavano di esporsi in sì superstiziosa funzione agl’insulti de’ popoli lor nemici, di soldatesche insolenti, di plebe vile, la qual doveva assoluta mente concorrere a motteggiare le lagrime di una gente compassionevole, ma non mai compatita.”
English Translation:
“A great thing! For the loss of a mere earthly Temple the obstinate Jews felt so atrocious a grief that they were content to purchase at a great price the opportunity to weep for it; nor did they hesitate to expose themselves in so superstitious a function to the insults of their enemy peoples, of insolent soldiers, of a vile rabble, which was bound absolutely to join in mocking the tears of a people pitiable, but never pitied.”
XIX. The Jews Exiled from Jerusalem: Their Tears Fruitless
Source: Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge, Parte Terza (Vol. VI), Ragionamento XXVIII
Original Italian:
“Gli antichi Ebrei, come narraci san Girolamo (in c. 1 Sophon.), esuli già dalla loro Gerusalemme, comperavano con buona somma di danaro la comodità di poter ritornarvi una volta l’anno a piangere il loro esilio. Ma quanto erano infruttuose le loro lagrime a rivocarlo, tanto erano male spesi i loro quattrini.”
English Translation:
“The ancient Jews, as St. Jerome tells us (on ch. 1 of Sophonias), already exiles from their Jerusalem, would purchase with a goodly sum of money the opportunity of returning thither once a year to weep over their exile. But as fruitless as their tears were in recalling it, so ill-spent were their coins.”
XX. The Jews Forbidden to Enter Jerusalem: St. Jerome’s Witness
Source: Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge, Parte Terza (Vol. VI), Ragionamento XXVIII
Original Italian:
“Havreste veduto quegl’infelici […] venire, e nel volto, e nel passo, e nell’abito, ed in tutto il sembiante della persona a dimostar manifesta ira Divina. Pervenuti alla porta della Città, quivi si congregavano in una turma, e prorompendo ad un tratto concordemente in un dirottissimo pianto, chi picchiandosi il petto, chi svellendosi i crini, chi percotendosi il volto, faceano insieme sì dentro la mesta entrata.”
English Translation:
“You would have seen those unhappy ones […] manifesting in their faces, their gait, their dress, and in every aspect of their persons, the plain wrath of God. Arriving at the gate of the City, they would gather there in a crowd, and breaking out all at once in a most unrestrained weeping — some beating their breasts, some tearing their hair, some striking their faces — they made in this manner so mournful an entry together.”
XXI. The Talmudic Tradition: Even the Hebrew People Held Such Beliefs
Source: Quaresimale, Predica I, §II (First Series)
Original Italian:
“ciò che ne hanno per tradizione gli Ebrei (Apud Lir. in …)”
(Note: This is a brief reference to Hebrew tradition cited by Segneri; the fuller passages concerning Talmudic content proper are embedded in polemical exegetical references throughout the works listed below.)
XXII. The Jews in the Quaresimale: “The Malign One Detained Them in Babylon with a Double Love and a Double Fear”
Source: Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge, Parte Terza, Ragionamento XV
Original Italian:
“Così il Maligno tratteneva in Babilonia gli Ebrei con un doppio amore, e con un doppio timore. Se voi vi partite, diceva, vi perderete le amicizie già contratte in questo paese, e le possessioni acquistate; e poi di più o mancherete per la strada così mal conca, o giunti a casa, non avrete con che sostentarvi.”
English Translation:
“Thus the Evil One detained the Jews in Babylon with a double love and a double fear. If you depart, he said, you will lose the friendships already formed in this country, and the possessions acquired; and besides, you will either perish on the road so ill provided, or having arrived home, you will have nothing to sustain yourselves.”
XXIII. The Ancient Jews: Burned Adulterers — and the Old Law’s Severity
Source: Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge, Parte Terza, Ragionamento XXXII
Original Italian:
“I Giudei antichissimamente gli abbruciavano vivi; pena che poi da Dio fu cambiata in esser lapidati da tutto il Popolo.”
English Translation:
“The Jews of the most ancient times burned [adulterers] alive; a punishment which was afterwards changed by God into being stoned by the whole People.”
XXIV. The Christian’s Sin Is More Grievous Than That of an Infidel — Reference to Jewish Comparison
Source: Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge, Parte Terza (Index, Vol. VI)
“I peccati suoi [del Cristiano] sono più gravi di quelli di un Infedele per tre cagioni […] merita in pari delitto un inferno più greve, che gl’idolatri.”
English Translation:
“His [the Christian’s] sins are more grievous than those of an Infidel for three reasons […] he merits in equal offence a heavier hell than idolaters.”
XXV. The Sinner Who Persists in Mortal Sin Is a True Deicide
Source: Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge (Index, Vol. VI / Vol. III-IV)
Original Italian (from Index):
“quanto è, della sua parte, è vero Deicida.”
English Translation:
“For his own part, [the obstinate sinner] is a true Deicide.”
Sources
- Quaresimale del Padre Paolo Segneri (First Series): https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ZDptIUJ8pyYC
- Twelve Sermons from the Quaresimale of P. Paolo Segneri, trans. James Ford (London: Joseph Masters, 1857): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Twelve_sermons_from_the_Quaresimale_of_P.Paolo_Segneri(IA_12sermonsFromTheQuaresimale).pdf
- Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge (Parte Terza): https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_qcs4pAwTdxAC
- Cristiano Istruito nella sua Legge (Parte Quarta): https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_IXSoe4NHlNkC
- Opere del Padre Paolo Segneri (Tomo Primo, incl. second Quaresimale / Panegirici Sacri): https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_45O9tlLa_BgC
- Opere del Padre Paolo Segneri, Vol. VI (Cristiano Istruito, Tomo II, Napoli 1857): https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_KglBAQAAMAAJ