Because Isaac de Castro's Jewish mother had him baptized as an infant, he was considered a Catholic by the Church. However, his family maintained their Jewish identity by secretly observing Jewish practices, something which was forbidden by the Church and punishable by death. When de Castro went to South America to escape the Inquisition, the Inquisition followed him there. He was shipped back to Portugal to be tried by the Church. The court offered de Castro two choices: abandon his Jewish practices and live as a Catholic, or be burned alive at the stake. He chose the latter. According to eyewitness accounts recorded by historians, "As the flames rose, de Castro intoned the Shema and then spoke his final words."