[1713]. Carta anónima de uma mulher para um membro da Inquisição.

Anonymous letter written by a woman to a member of the Inquisition

A Christian woman asks the Inquisitors for forgiveness after committing witchcraft.

Catarina Fróis, her daughter Teresa Fróis and her aunt Isabel Nunes were accused of witchcraft. One of these women might have been the author of this letter. They were accused of healing through words and making spells and predicting the future with prayers. Teresa Fróis faced the hardest accusation, since Bernardo Soares said she had a pact with the Devil and was able to talk with the deceased in order to obtain information. The Inquisition court considered that there was enough evidence to condemn Teresa Fróis.

The case of the Penhirinhas, I heard of it from a girl, but I didn’t do it and I don’t know who did. Blessing the bed is something I do. Praying to the souls, I do it sometimes too. Healing from evil eye, I’ve done it a few times, in good faith and not being aware that it was a sin and forbidden. I’ve confessed this many times. I was always left the same way. If I have sinned in any of these things, I ask for forgiveness to the Holy Apostolic Church, as a true Christian and I ask Messrs. Inquisitors to forgive me. By the wounds of Christ, please exculpate me if I have committed any sin and I will endure any penitence our punishment from the Holy Mother Church because I wish to keep the lay of my Lord Jesus Christ, which I profess.