“Sem fama nem rumor”: habilitações rejeitadas ao cargo de familiar do santo ofício no recôncavo baiano (1681-1750)

Abstract

Under Portuguese crown action, the Inquisition in Portuguese America through its agents scrutinized the daily life of the settlers used their arm of faith, represented by their agents. Relatives as lay inquisitorial agents were recruited from local residents, and according to the Rules these agents were responsible for the auxiliary activities of the religious institution as identifying and betraying heresies, serving as representatives of the Inquisition. Being Familiar served both as a certificate of purity of blood, and as a distinction of social advancement. The purpose of this article is to analyze the habilitation processes refused to the relative of the Holy Office in the Bahia Recôncavo, analyzing the reasons that the Inquisition pointed out in the processes for the refusal of the family.