Pope Innocent III Protest to Philip Augustus of France Against Royal Protection of Jewish Money-Lenders
(1204)
Philip Augustus and Innocent III were in a dispute
at this time about the taking of Normandy from John of England. The
Pope complained of the royal protection granted to the Jews and of their
usurious practices as money-lenders, but, though Philip often banished
them, he always allowed them to return on payment of a fine.
But if sometimes those to whom they entrusted their
money at interest produce Christian witnesses to the fact of repayment,
more credence is placed in the document which the indiscreet debtor
has left with his creditor through negligence or carelessness than in
the witnesses he produces. Nay, in such a matter witnesses are not permitted
against the Jews, so that their insolence has gone so far that-we refer
to it with shame-the Jews of Sens built next to a certain old church
a new synagogue, not a little higher than the church, in which place
they celebrate their services in the Jewish rite. This they do, not
as was the case before they were ejected from the kingdom, i.e., in
a low tone, but with a great clamor, not scrupling to avoid disturbing
the more holy celebrations in the church (of the Christians).
From: J. P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae Cursus Completus,
(Paris, 1855), Vol. CCXV, pp. 501-503; reprinted in Roy C. Cave &
Herbert H. Coulson, eds., A Source Book for Medieval Economic History,
(Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1936; reprint ed., New York: Biblo
& Tannen, 1965), p. 178.
Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has
been modernized by Prof. Arkenberg.
Sources: Medieval
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