25
Conversion to the Catholic Church
and the grant of forgiveness
In 1499, during the reign of King D. Manuel I, the penalties that were applied to the Jews of Tavira were forgiven, as Antonio Vasques (a new Christian) had married his daughter to an also new Christian. This pardon is, in our interpretation, a measure of encouragement by the king for the Jews of Tavira to follow António Vasques' example and carry on living in Portugal.
This pardoned was granted three years after the decree of expulsion of the heretics, in 1496, in which King D. Manuel I had forced the heretics (Jews, Muslims, etc.) to leave the country or to convert to the catholic religion, These former heretics were now considered “new Christians”.
The king was not precisely in favour of this measure, but this was implicit in a clause in his marriage contract, with Isabel of Castille and Aragon, Princess of Spain, daughter of the Catholic Kings, a country from which the Jews had already been expelled, having part of them fled to Portugal. King D. Manuel I did not really want to expel the Jews, since he needed the knowledge and capital they possessed, and because the Jews also held important positions in society.
During his reign, King D. Manuel I did not disturb the new Christians who continued to be Crypto-Jews, yet this did not happen in the following reign. Later on, we will find some prisoners and condemned heretics by the Inquisition who have the surname Vasques, they are probably descendants of this now "privileged", Antonio Vasques.
King D. Manuel I
(1469-1521)
(Reign: 1495 - 1521)