O jesuíta Manuel da Costa a contas com a Inquisição (1654-1655)

Abstract

Based on a process of the Inquisition of Lisbon until now unknown to historiography, new elements are revealed about Fr. Manuel da Costa, the Jesuit to whom the authorship of the 17th-century work Arte de Furtar is attributed. Following an «auto da fé» in 1654 in which a wealthy New Christian merchant, Fr. Manuel da Costa came into conflict with the Inquisition for issuing certificates attesting to the deceased’s Christian faith. The inquiry subsequently instituted by the inquisitors provides new clues for understanding Manuel da Costa’s worth in the court of D. João IV and makes it possible to question the Jesuit’s position on the Inquisition and the confiscation of property from heretics in comparison with the praise of the Saint Office contained in the Arte de Furtar.