The following documents are drawn from the Bullarium Romanum, Taurinensis Edition, Vol. IX, covering the final year of Sixtus V and the opening year of Clement VIII. This is a shorter volume than its predecessors, and contains two documents touching on the Jews: a confirmation by Sixtus V of the purchase of a building for separate prisons in Rome to keep clerics, religious, and Hebrews from being held together with ordinary Christian criminals; and a brief but significant constitution of Clement VIII renewing Paul IV’s and Pius V’s ghetto ordinances specifically against the Jews of Avignon and the Comtat Venaissin, where those rules had fallen into disuse. Translations are made from the Latin originals as preserved in the Vatican Archives and printed in the Bullarium.
Pope Sixtus V — Confirmation of the Sale of a Building for the Construction of Separate Prisons in Rome, So That Distinct Prisons May Be Assigned to Offending Clerics, Religious, Hebrews, and Christians (1589 AD)
Things that appear harmful to the ecclesiastical order and the Christian state, and are said to occasion scandal, it is most necessary and consonant with reason to remove from the midst and to provide a more fitting and appropriate place for them. This we are accustomed to do, from the duty of our pastoral office, with special care — among other things that come before our eyes — concerning Christ’s flock imprisoned in the jails alongside unworthy and rejected Hebrews, lest from this their mutual conversation and mingling there arise scandal and unfitting situations; and to add the strength of our confirmation to the things that are said to have been done for the avoiding and abolition of such scandals and for the happier governance and administration of these matters, lest they slip away under the scruple of contempt, but may remain firm, perpetual, and unshaken, as we discern in the Lord it salutarily befits according to the assessed quality of persons, times, and places.
§ 1. Cardinal Rustucuccius, Vicar of Rome, judged it indecent for clerics and Hebrews to be housed together with lay offenders; a suitable building identified
From this it comes about that our beloved son Hieronymus, presbyter cardinal of the Holy Roman Church of the title of Saint Susanna, called Rustucuccius, and our vicar-general in our beloved City and its district, considering it altogether indecent that clerics and religious men, who happen for the time being to be imprisoned for various and diverse causes, should remain and dwell in those prisons together with lay and secular offending and criminal persons — and likewise that Hebrews, who also happen to be imprisoned, should dwell and associate with Christians, both lay and religious — and for removing these scandals and improprieties, particular and separate prisons should be established and assigned to the said clerics, religious, and Hebrews; and that no place was more apt and commodious for constructing and building such particular and separate prisons than a certain house in the same City in the Ponte district, next to the beloved son Jacob dell’Elba, behind the Tiber from one side, and of the prison of the Torre Nuova in front of the public road, situated within its well-known bounds on the other sides, belonging to the church of Saint Stephen in the Round on the Caelian Hill of the said City and formerly united, annexed, and incorporated to the German and Hungarian College of the same City by apostolic authority — having spoken with us about these matters — and we, perceiving the same to be consonant with reason, assented to the report of that same Cardinal Hieronymus, and commanded the aforesaid matters to be done and that house to be purchased and acquired from the monies accruing and to accrue from the crimes and offences or confiscations made for that reason through the said office of the vicariate and from those thereafter to be made.
§ 2–3. The sale was concluded; confirmation requested and granted
And therefore our beloved son Peter Anthony Scinellus, priest of the Society of Jesus and rector of the said college, wishing to comply with our will and commands, sold and alienated in the name of the said college that aforesaid house as described, with all and each of its rights, members, and appurtenances, to that same Cardinal Hieronymus for the aforesaid purpose, for the price of one thousand eight hundred seventy-seven scudi and twenty-seven bononini, at the rate of ten giulii of Roman money for each scudo, appraised by the beloved son Martin Longus, an expert elected jointly. And as firmer are the things which are strengthened by our and the Apostolic See’s confirmation, both that same Cardinal Hieronymus and Peter Anthony the aforesaid rector humbly supplicated us that we deign by the aforesaid apostolic authority to approve and confirm the sale and alienation and other premises for their firmer subsistence. We therefore, inclined by these supplications, and wishing to follow the said Hieronymus cardinal and Peter Anthony rector with the favor of special grace, do by apostolic authority, by the tenor of the present letters, perpetually confirm and approve the sale and alienation of the said house as made, and the other premises, and all and each of the things contained in the said instrument and whatever followed therefrom, and add to them the force of perpetual and inviolable firmness.
Given at Rome, at the Quirinal Hill, under the Fisherman’s Ring, on the twenty-third day of August 1589, in the fifth year of our pontificate.
Dated August 23, 1589; pontificate year 5.
Source. Bullarium Romanum, Taurinensis Edition, Vol. IX, pp. 121–124. Pope Sixtus V, confirmation of the sale of a building for the construction of separate prisons for clerics, religious, Hebrews, and Christians in Rome. Translated from the Latin.
Pope Clement VIII — Confirmation and Renewal of the Letters of Pius V and the Constitution of Paul IV Against the Hebrews of the City of Avignon and the Comtat Venaissin, Especially That They May Not Sell New Goods (1592 AD)
Since it can often happen that, whether through the injury of time or the negligence of men or otherwise, those things which are accordingly sanctioned by the Roman Pontiffs gradually fall into disuse, it is therefore fitting from time to time to renew their memory by applying the remedy of confirmation and renewal, so that they may subsist perpetually the firmer.
§ 1. Pius V’s confirmation of Paul IV’s constitution against the Jews
Confirmatory letters of the constitution of Paul Pope IV, our predecessor of pious memory, against the Jews — likewise our predecessor — had been issued some time ago by Pius Pope V, our predecessor of happy memory, of the following tenor: Pius Bishop, servant of the servants of God, for perpetual remembrance of the matter: the Roman Pontiff, Vicar of Christ on earth, etc.
§ 2. The Jews of Avignon and the Comtat Venaissin have been relaxing the observance of those letters in those districts
Since, however, as is plainly apparent, those same Jews are known to have somewhat relaxed the observance of the foregoing letters, particularly in places remote from Rome, and by name in the city of Avignon and our Comtat Venaissin, and to be drawing them toward disuse —
§ 3. Clement VIII perpetually confirms and commands observance under the original penalties
We, wishing that those letters and constitution and all and everything contained therein ought perpetually and, as is fitting, inviolably to be observed, perpetually confirming and approving those same letters and constitution and fortifying them with the perpetual strength of our apostolic confirmation, do by apostolic authority, by the tenor of the present letters, command and mandate all and each whom those letters and constitution concern, under the penalties contained in them, that they observe inviolably in perpetuity all and each of those things, and take care and cause them to be observed.
§ 4. Legates and vice-legates of Avignon commanded to enforce the constitution; Jews in the Comtat expressly forbidden to sell new goods
And nevertheless we by strict command mandate our beloved sons our and the Apostolic See’s legates, vice-legates, governors, officials, and whatever ministers — by name in the said city of Avignon and our said Comtat Venaissin now and for the time being — that they cause those letters and constitution fully to be observed in our cities and places whatsoever, especially of the aforesaid comtat and the Avignon legateship, and among other things expressly forbid the Jews dwelling there from presuming to sell or trade the merchandise of new goods, but only the old goods themselves, as is provided in those letters; executing irremissibly against those who contravene them the penalties threatened in those letters and constitution.
Given at Rome, at Saint Peter’s, under the Fisherman’s Ring, on the twenty-eighth day of February 1592, in the first year of our pontificate.
Dated February 28, 1592; pontificate year 1.
Source. Bullarium Romanum, Taurinensis Edition, Vol. IX, pp. 623–624. Pope Clement VIII, confirmation of Paul IV’s and Pius V’s constitution against the Jews of Avignon and the Comtat Venaissin. Translated from the Latin.