Last September, Cristina and I flew to Lisbon (or Lisboa to its inhabitants) as part of a twelve day trip to Portugal. We loved it. It's a beautiful city with historic architecture, modernity, security, a large choice of souvenirs, great food (especially pastel de nata) and comfortable hotels.
However, what we didn't see was a disturbing past. What happened in Lisbon (or Lisboa) 514 years ago today, on April 19, 1506?
By then, about 90,000 Spanish Jews, who had been expelled from their homeland in 1492, had settled in Lisbon (or Lisboa). One condition for living in their new country was that they convert to Catholicism. However, many of these New Christians, as they were called, still secretly practiced Judaism.
Early in 1506, a drought and an epidemic was claiming the lives of 100 Lisbon (or Lisboa) inhabitants per day (sound familiar?). Anxiety among the population grew. An ignorant reaction led some to point the finger for this crisis at the New Christians (or Jews) who must have angered God in some way. (Today with Covid-19, it's Asian-Americans.)
On Sunday, the 19th, one congregant at the convent of Sao Domingoes de Lisboa claimed to have seen the illuminated face of Jesus at the alter. Oh, contrar. One New Christian (or Jew) said it was only an optical illusion. For expressing his opinion, he was beaten to death. Better to keep your mouth shut.
After all the other New Christians (or Jews) in the church were likewise murdered, the violence spread to other areas of the city. It is alleged that more than 500 New Christians (or Jews) were killed that Sunday.
The violence continued for several more days during which up to four thousand New Christians (or Jews) were slaughtered before order was restored. In spite of their conversion to Catholicism as required, the New Christians were still regarded as Jews.
Why were the Jews singled out? Why were they scapegoated that day in Lisbon (or Lisboa) over 500 years ago?
I believe it started some 2,000 years ago with the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah by the Jewish people and later the failure of the Jews to adopt the new predominant European religion, Christianity.
As punishment for these rejections, the new Christian church blamed the Jews for killing Jesus even though the responsibility for the crucifixion rested solely with the governing Roman Empire.
Such alleged guilt by the Jews led to the rise of violent antisemitism which played out 514 years ago in Lisbon (or Lisboa), and continues to the present day in various locations throughout the world.
You say: "An ignorant reaction led some to point the finger for this crisis at the New Christians (or Jews) who must have angered God in some way. (Today with Covid-19, it's Asian-Americans.)" Do you really think that Asian Americans are blamed? Do you believe that the Chinese in power in China, and the W.H.O., have any blame here?
ReplyDeleteYou also say: "For expressing his opinion, he was beaten to death. Better to keep your mouth shut." Yes, that's right, in Catholic tradition, oddly enough, we are taught NOT to question, that it is NOT a matter of opinion. Judaism is all about raising questions about the Torah, and it's likely a better approach. But Catholicism was never done that way. Your "opinion" is not sought. You know, if you put three Jews in a room, ... (If this were an African religion, you might accept its unfortunate methods with great reverence.)
You say "even though the responsibility for the crucifixion rested solely with the governing Roman Empire." But in the case of Covid death, didn't we say the responsibility never rests solely with anything? You were willing to count as a Covid death anyone who died who knew anyone who had Covid. Why was this Rabbi Jesus even on the Romans' radar screen? Did the Jewish rabbinate of the time put him there? Probably, but so what? Did Rabbi Jesus's followers, Jews themselves, weep over it? Probably so. It was also supposedly God's plan. Of course it's wrong to mistreat today's Jews for that execution 2000 years ago, but not because it was solely the responsibility of the Romans.