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In Colonial Brazil, the Inquisition Pursued Thousands of People for Judaism, Witchcraft, and “Sodomy,” Leaving a Legacy of Repression and Fear
When people talk about the Inquisition, many think of women burned at the stake or heretics tortured in medieval Europe. But the Catholic Church’s tribunal also operated in Brazil.
During the colonial period, thousands of people were persecuted, denounced, and punished for practices such as witchcraft, Judaism, and “sodomy.”
The Portuguese Inquisition was officially created in 1536, with authorization from King João III and Pope Paul III. Its main target was the “New Christians,” Jews forcibly converted to Christianity.
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But the tribunal also targeted other behaviors deemed heretical. Brazil did not have a fixed tribunal like those in Spain, but the colony was reached by the power of the Holy Office.
Visitations in Colonial Brazil
At the end of the 16th century, the so-called “visitations” began. Agents of the Inquisition came from Portugal to gather denunciations.
Local priests collaborated with the work. Notices were posted in churches, listing prohibited behaviors. Those who self-denounced within the first 30 days could receive lighter penalties.
The atmosphere of fear spread. Neighbors reported neighbors. Children accused their own parents. Some denunciations were filtered in Brazil, but the most serious cases were sent to Lisbon.
Defendants were arrested, interrogated, tortured, and lost their property. Even the innocent often confessed to try to escape harsher punishments.
Trials ended in “autos de fé,” with public punishments — including burning at the stake when the sentence was death, carried out by civil authorities.
Thousands of Brazilian Victims
Historian Anita Novinsky estimates that more than a thousand people were taken from Brazil to be tried in Lisbon. At least 20 were executed. Thousands of others suffered physical, spiritual, and social punishments.
The Persecution of New Christians
The persecutions affected various groups. New Christians were the majority among those prosecuted. Many secretly maintained the Jewish faith, a practice known as crypto-Judaism. Keeping the Sabbath or avoiding pork could raise suspicions and lead to denunciations.
One of the most well-known cases is that of Ana Rodrigues. She was arrested in 1593 at the age of 80. She was the matriarch of a family in the Recôncavo Baiano.
She was taken to Lisbon and died in prison before being tried. Nevertheless, her remains were condemned. Her bones were exhumed and publicly burned.
Convictions for “Sodomy”
The Inquisition also condemned what it referred to as “sodomy.” This term encompassed any sexual practice outside Christian norms.
The Portuguese woman Felipa de Souza was accused of having relationships with women. In 1591, she was tried in Salvador, sentenced, and exiled. Today, her name is remembered by LGBT movements.
Accusations of Witchcraft and Religious Racism
Burned as witches, women were a minority in Brazil. But accusations of witchcraft were common.
Many involved black, indigenous, and mixed-race women. Herbal teas, prayers, blessings, and amulets were seen as a threat to doctrine. This repression marks the origins of religious racism in the country.
There are records of at least 15 formal processes in Lisbon against women accused of witchcraft in Brazil.
The majority were black or indigenous. Other denunciations did not lead to trials but fueled fear and constant control.
Joana and Custódia: Ritual Turned into Crime
One of the most striking episodes occurred in 1760. Joana and Custódia, enslaved women in Piauí, confessed to having participated in a “sabbath.”
This term, in the European Christian imagination, was used to describe witches’ meetings with demonic rituals.
The account of the responsible Jesuit mentioned blasphemies and invocations. However, the elements cited indicate that the ritual was Afro-Indigenous, traditional, and was demonized by the dominant religious view.
At that time, the Inquisition was already in decline. The advancement of Enlightenment thought and the influence of the Marquis of Pombal began to weaken the tribunal.
In 1821, the Tribunal of the Holy Office was officially abolished. But fear, control, and social exclusion left deep scars.
Much of the Inquisition’s documentation was preserved in Portugal, at the Torre do Tombo. Only in recent years have these archives begun to be more studied.
The history of the Inquisition in Brazil is still being uncovered. But what is already known reveals a period of forced silence, constant surveillance, and religious repression.
With information from Super Interessante.
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