The term New Christian (cristianos nuevos in Spanish, cristãos novos in Portuguese) was used to refer to the Jews and Moors who were converted to Christianity and their baptized descendants. The term was introduced in order for "Old Christians" (cristianos viejos in Spanish or "cristãos velhos" in Portuguese) to distinguish themselves from the converts (conversos), who were also insulted as marranos, "pigs", in a derogatory manner. Copyrighted Image Photo courtesy of Wayne B. Chandler Moorish Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I The Moors were the medieval Muslim inhabitants of al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula including the present day Spain and Portugal) and the Maghreb and western Africa, whose culture is often called Moorish. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... Spanish for converted one, converso (feminine conversa) referred to Jews or Muslims or the descendants of Jews or Muslims who had converted, sometimes unwillingly, to Catholicism in Spain, particularly during the 1300s and 1400s. ... Marranos (Spanish and Portuguese, literally pigs in the Spanish language, originally a derogatory term from the Arabic محرّم muharram meaning ritually forbidden, stemming from the prohibition against eating the flesh of the animal among both Jews and Muslims), were Sephardic Jews (Jews from the Iberian peninsula) who were forced to adopt...

Throughout the Middle Ages, there were conversions. In general, they were the result of physical, economic, and social pressures or coercion, although some of those who converted may have been more sincere. In the 14th century there was increasing pressure against Jews that culminated in the riots of 1391 in Seville and many other cities. These riots caused the destruction of the Jewish courts and sparked many conversions, a trend that continued through the 15th century. Unlike the other Iberian kingdoms, Portugal was not much affected by the waves of riots. There, the population of New-Christians became numerous after the forced conversions of 1497.

After the expulsion of the Jewish population from Spain in 1492 and Portugal in 1497 all the Jewish population in Iberia became officially Christian. The New Christians were always under suspicion of apostasy. The creation of the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 and Portuguese in 1536 was justified by the need to fight heresy. It was believed that many New Christians were practicing their original religion in secret and, in fact, large numbers were Crypto-Jews. Crypto-Judaism is the secret adherence to Judaism while publicly professing to be of another faith; people who practice crypto-Judaism are referred to as crypto-Jews. The many Marranos who publicly professed Catholicism but privately adhered to Judaism during the Spanish Inquisition, and particularly after the Alhambra decree of...

The system and ideology of limpieza de sangre, in Spanish, or limpeza de sangue, in Portuguese (cleanliness of blood) ostracized New Christians from society, regardless of their actual degree of sincerity as converts. In Portugal, the legal distinction between New and Old Christian was ended through a legal decree issued by the Marquis of Pombal in 1772. Limpieza de sangre is also a novel in the Captain Alatriste series by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. ... The Marquis of Pombal, or Marquês de Pombal, (13 May 1699 - 15 May 1782) was a Portuguese politician and statesman, prime minister of king Joseph I of Portugal throughout his reign. ...

After conversion, New Christians adopted Christian names. Eventually all Old Christian names were used by New Christians.

Bibliography

• J. Lúcio de Azevedo, História dos Cristãos Novos Portugueses (Clássica Editora, 1989).
• David M. Gitlitz, Secret and Deceit - The Religion of the Crypto Jews (The Jewish Publication Society, 1996). ISBN 0-8276-0562-5