Apr. 17, 1222

Conciliar Decree (Canons 39 and 40), issued by the Council of Oxford [Present-day United Kingdom]: “§39. Since it is absurd that the children of a free woman shall be slaves to the children of a bondswoman, and since no little scandal in the case of many regularly arises in the Church of God from Jews and Christians living under the same roof, we decree that in the future Jews shall not possess Christian slaves. For the observance of this injunction we wish the servants to be effectively constrained by ecclesiastical censure, and the Jews by regular punishment or such extraordinary punishment as may be devised by the diocesan official; and since beyond the decrees of the law we need show them no favor, and inasmuch as, by the many enormities which they have committed at this time, they have been proved to be most ungrateful, we forbid them to construct synagogues in the future, but we enjoin that they shall be held bound to the churches, in whose parishes they dwell, in respect to tithes and contributions out of their usury. §40. Since in these parts such confusion had arisen between Christians and Jews that they are barely distinguishable, and as a result it sometimes happens that Christians cohabit with Jewesses or vice versa, we decree by the authority of the present general Council, that each and every Jew, whether male or female, shall wear clearly exposed on the outer garments, on the chest, a linen patch of a different color from that of his garment, so that each patch shall measure two fingers in width and four in length; and that they shall be compelled, by ecclesiastical censure, to observe this regulation. They shall moreover not presume to enter churches in the future. And lest they have occasion to enter, we strictly forbid them to deposit and keep their property in churches; and if anyone dare act to the contrary, he shall be corrected by the local bishop.”
Grayzel, Solomon. Church And the Jews In the XIIIth Century: a Study of Their Relations During the Years 1198-1254, Based On the Papal Letters And the Conciliar Decrees of the Periods. The Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning: Philadelphia PA, 1933. P.315. Researched by Dominik Jacobs 8/1/2019