Editing Pope Innocent XI (section)

===Jewish relations===
Innocent XI showed a degree of sensitivity in his dealings with the [[Jews]] within the Italian states. He compelled the [[Republic of Venice]] to release the Jewish prisoners taken by [[Francesco Morosini]] in 1685. He also discouraged compulsory baptisms which accordingly became less frequent under his pontificate, but he could not abolish the old practice altogether.

More controversially on 30 October 1682 he issued an edict by which all the money-lending activities carried out by the Roman Jews were to cease. Such a move would incidentally have financially benefitted his own brothers who played a dominant role in European money-lending. However, ultimately convinced that such a measure would cause much misery in destroying livelihoods, the enforcement of the edict was twice delayed.<ref>Isidore Singer, ''The Jewish Encyclopedia'', Varda Books, 2003</ref>