Cum nimis absurdum was a papal bull issued by Pope Paul IV dated July 14, 1555 and taking its name from its first words, translated¹ "Since it is absurd and utterly inconvenient that the Jews, who through their own fault were condemned by God to eternal slavery ...." and therefore placing religious and economic restrictions on Jews in the Papal States.

The bull renewed anti-Jewish legislation and and subjected Jews to various restrictions on their personal freedom and degradations like forcing Jewish males to wear a yellow hat, and females a yellow kerchief (see Yellow badge), compulsory Catholic sermons on the Jewish Shabbat, and Jews being forbidden to own real estate or practice medicine among Christians.

The bull also created the Roman Ghetto, where the Jews of Rome, who had lived freely since antiquity, were segregated in a walled quarter with three gates that were locked at night. Jews were also restricted to one synagogue per city. The following Pope Pius IV enforced the creation of other ghettos in most Italian towns, and his successor Pope Pius V recommended them to other bordering states.

References

¹Bice Migliau and Micaela Procaccia with Silvia Rebuzzi and Micaela Vitale, Lazio Jewish Itineraries: Places, History, and Art, trans. Gus Barker. Venice: Marsilio, 1997, p. 25.

• Original Latin text