Bull of September 1348 in which he said that Christians who imputed the pestilence to the Jews had been "seduced by that liar, the Devil," and that the charge of well-poisoning and ensuing massacres were a "horrible thing." He pointed out that "by a mysterious decree of God" the plague was afflicting all peoples, including Jews; that it raged in places where no Jews lived, and that elsewhere they were victims like everyone else; therefore the charge that they caused it was "without plausibility." He urged the clergy to take Jews under their protection as he himself offered to do in Avignon, but his voice was hardly heard against local animus.
In September 1348, a papal bull condemned the unjust accusations against Jews regarding the plague, attributing the blame to deceitful influences from the Devil. The Pope emphasized that the pestilence was a divine trial affecting all humanity, and that Jews were equally suffering from its ravages. He discredited the baseless allegations of well-poisoning and the resultant violence against Jewish communities, labeling them as a "horrible thing."
He urged the clergy to extend protection to Jews, reflecting his commitment to their safety in Avignon. However, despite this papal intervention, local biases and animosities often overshadowed his words, leaving the Jewish populations vulnerable to persecution amidst the widespread fear and chaos caused by the plague.
