Was the Catholic Church in Poland afraid of conversion to Judaism in the early 16th century?
Was the Catholic Church in Poland afraid of conversion to Judaism in the early 16th century?

Summary/Abstract: The Church in Poland found itself in a particularly complicated situation in the first half of the 16th century. Next to the centuries-old rival, that is, the Russian Orthodox Church, a new competitor appeared on stage: Protestantism. On the other hand, the development of the reformation movements also exerted an influence on the attitude toward the followers of the Mosaic faith. Interest in the Hebrew language and deepened Bible studies encouraged Christians and Jews alike to seek closer contacts. The weakened Roman Catholic Church began to perceive a threat coming not only from (Protestants) and schismatics (Eastern Orthodox followers) but also Jews. It feared not only Judaisation but also conversions. Rumours about Christians converting to Judaic faith first appeared in Poland in the first half of the 16th century. The matter was seen as serious enough to warrant the appointment of a special royal commission. Although the rumours were not confirmed, the suspicions lingered on. Polish 16th century Church regulations sought to prevent excessively close contacts between the Catholics and the Jews. For example, Catholics were forbidden to visit synagogues. Were the bans of this kind founded on established facts or rather were an outcome of overreaction on the part of the Church leaders? It is not possible to give an unequivocal answer to this question.

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