Politics and Reformations: Histories and Reformations

The Jesuit Order as a Synagogue of Jews

“…Docet utrosque divinus Apostolus apud Christum chapter one in which there would be "no distinction between noble and ignoble, between good and bad lineage, between honorable and humble." 127 Th is interpretation of Paul's thought is contrary to what Pope Nicholas V expressed in his bull Humani generis inimicus (1449), to which Simancas dedicates Chapter 17. He questions there the authenticity of the bull that became a weapon of the converso counterattack against the Sarmiento legislation as contrary to the Catholic faith, as we have seen earlier, and against the Jesuit de genere decree, as we shall see in Chapter Th ree.…”

“…7 r-v ). 127 "Iam hodie nulla distinctio erit nobilis aut ignobilis, boni aut mali generis, illustris aut vilis, denique nullus erit ordo reipublicae. Absit autem ab animis fi delium tam iniqua persuasio, ut apostoli doctrina tutius rectae pulitiae formam damnare, aut subvertere videatur (Simancas, Defensio, f. 7).…”

“…126 Moreover, Medina pointed out that in the 1550 version of the text on which Loyola was working, such a question was taken out, probably at the request of Alfonso Salmerón. 127 Just before his death, however, Loyola added the question again (this is in the so-called text B of 1556), with a slight change of wording but without changing its non-discriminatory intent: "si viene de christianos antiguos o modernos." 128 If anybody had doubts about how to interpret the converso question in the Jesuit Constitutions, which were not binding until their chapter two promulgation in 1558, Loyola-physically stuck to his chair at the Roman curia-made clear its meaning through his envoys to the Jesuits in the provinces across Europe, most of whom had never met Loyola in person.…”

“…Mercurian refused to admit him to the profession of solemn vows, and Acquaviva dismissed him in 1592. 33 His career, birthplace, and name suggest converso origin, 34 as do those of other memorialistas, such as Juan Bautista Carrillo, 35 Diego discrimination against jesuits of jewish lineage (1573-93) 127 de Santa Cruz,36 Fernando de Mendoza González, 37 Juan Bautista Pacheco, 38 Gaspar Sánchez,39 and Gaspar de Valpedrosa. 40 Jewish ancestry is unquestionable, however, in the case of other members of the movement: Jerónimo de Acosta (brother of José), Jerónimo (Romano) de la Higuera, 41 Gaspar López,42 Astrain,Historia,.…”

“…I am sorry about this, but nothing else can be done in this case. 127 Upon his request to join the Society in Saragossa, the lineage of Baltasar [Jerónimo] Gracián y Morales (1601-58), from Belmonte (Calatayud) near Saragossa, resulted in suspicion but apparently did not prevent his admission. It seems that the suspicion centered on the name of Gracián and his father's profession.…”