Cum nimis absurdum was a papal bull issued by Pope Paul IV dated July 14, 1555 and taking its name from its first words, translated¹ "Since it is absurd and utterly inconvenient that the Jews, who through their own fault were condemned by God to eternal slavery ...." and therefore placing religious and economic restrictions on Jews in the Papal States. A Papal bull is a written communication from the Vatican Chancery, bearing a formal papal seal. ... Pope Paul IV Paul IV, né Gianni Carafa (June 28, 1476 - August 18, 1559) was Pope from May 23, 1555. ... July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 170 days remaining. ... Events Russia breaks 60 year old truce with Finland May 23 - Paul IV becomes Pope. ... The Papal States (Gli Stati della Chiesa or Stati Pontificii, States of the Church) is one of the historical states of Italy before its unity under the crown of Savoy and comprised those territories over which the Pope was the ruler in a civil as well as a spiritual sense...

The bull renewed anti-Jewish legislation and and subjected Jews to various restrictions on their personal freedom and degradations like forcing Jewish males to wear a yellow hat, and females a yellow kerchief (see Yellow badge), compulsory Catholic sermons on the Jewish Shabbat, and Jews being forbidden to own real estate or practice medicine among Christians. an example of the type of yellow badge or star, Jews were forced to wear during the Nazi occupation of Europe, 1933-1945 A mandatory mark or a piece of cloth of specific geometric shape, worn on the outer garment in order to distinguish a person of certain religion or... A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. ... Shabbat, or Shabbos (Ashkenazic pronunciation) (שבת shabbāṯ, rest), is a day of rest that is observed once a week, from sundown on Friday until nightfall on Saturday, by practitioners of Judaism, as well as by many secular Jews. ... Real estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. ...

The bull also created the Roman Ghetto, where the Jews of Rome, who had lived freely since antiquity, were segregated in a walled quarter with three gates that were locked at night. Jews were also restricted to one synagogue per city. The following Pope Pius IV enforced the creation of other ghettos in most Italian towns, and his successor Pope Pius V recommended them to other bordering states. The Roman Ghetto was located in the area surrounded by todays Via del Portico dOttavia, Lungotevere dei Cenci, Via del Progresso and Via di Santa Maria del Pianto close to the Tiber and the Theatre of Marcellus, in Rome, Italy. ... A synagogue (from Greek συναγωγη, transliterated sunagoge, place of assembly literally meeting, assembly) is a Jewish house of prayer and study. ... Pius IV, né Giovanni Angelo Medici (March 31, 1499 - December 9, 1565), pope from 1559 to 1565, was born of humble parentage in Milan. ... Bold textHe was born as Antonio Ghislieri at Bosco in the duchy of Milan. ...

References

¹Bice Migliau and Micaela Procaccia with Silvia Rebuzzi and Micaela Vitale, Lazio Jewish Itineraries: Places, History, and Art, trans. Gus Barker. Venice: Marsilio, 1997, p. 25.

• Original Latin text (http://www.ariberti.it/scuola/ebrei/documenti_chiesa_ebrei/cum_nimis_absurdum.htm)