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Popes For Slavery Pope Nicholas
V issued the papal bull Dum Diversas
on The same pope
wrote the bull Romanus Pontifex on “We weighing
all and singular the premises with due meditation, and noting that since we
had formerly by other letters of ours granted among other things free and
ample faculty to the aforesaid King Alfonso -- to invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all
Saracens and pagans whatsoever, and other enemies of Christ wheresoever
placed, and the kingdoms, dukedoms, principalities, dominions, possessions,
and all movable and immovable goods whatsoever held and possessed by them and
to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery, and to apply and appropriate to
himself and his successors the kingdoms, dukedoms, counties, principalities,
dominions, possessions, and goods, and to convert them to his and their use
and profit -- by having secured the said faculty, the said
King Alfonso, or, by his authority, the aforesaid infante, justly and lawfully has acquired and possessed, and doth
possess, these islands, lands, harbors, and seas, and they do of right belong
and pertain to the said King Alfonso and his successors”. In 1493
Alexander VI issued the bull Inter
Caetera stating one Christian nation did not have the right to establish
dominion over lands previously dominated by another Christian nation, thus
establishing the Law of Nations. Together, the
Dum Diversas, the Romanus Pontifex and the Inter Caetera came to serve as the
basis and justification for the Doctrine of Discovery, the global slave-trade
of the 15th and 16th centuries, and the Age of Imperialism. Romanus Pontifex Nicholas, bishop, servant of the servants of God,
for a perpetual remembrance. The Roman
pontiff, successor of the key-bearer of the heavenly kingdom and vicar of
Jesus Christ, contemplating with a father’s mind all the several climes of
the world and the characteristics of all the nations dwelling in them and
seeking and desiring the salvation of all, wholesomely ordains and disposes
upon careful deliberation those things which he sees will be agreeable to the
Divine Majesty and by which he may bring the sheep entrusted to him by God
into the single divine fold, and may acquire for them the reward of eternal
felicity, and obtain pardon for their souls. This we believe will more
certainly come to pass, through the aid of the Lord, if we bestow suitable
favors and special graces on those Catholic kings and princes, who, like
athletes and intrepid champions of the Christian faith, as we know by the
evidence of facts, not only restrain the savage excesses of the Saracens and
of other infidels, enemies of the Christian name, but also for the defense
and increase of the faith vanquish them and their kingdoms and habitations,
though situated in the remotest parts unknown to us, and subject them to
their own temporal dominion, sparing no labor and expense, in order that
those kings and princes, relieved of all obstacles, may be the more animated
to the prosecution of so salutary and laudable a work. We have
lately heard, not without great joy and gratification, how our beloved son,
the noble personage Henry, infante
of Portugal, uncle of our most dear son in Christ, the illustrious Alfonso,
king of the kingdoms of Portugal and Algarve, treading in the footsteps of
John, of famous memory, king of the said kingdoms, his father, and greatly
inflamed with zeal for the salvation of souls and with fervor of faith, as a
Catholic and true soldier of Christ, the Creator of all things, and a most
active and courageous defender and intrepid champion of the faith in Him, has
aspired from his early youth with his utmost might to cause the most glorious
name of the said Creator to be published, extolled, and revered throughout
the whole world, even in the most remote and undiscovered places, and also to
bring into the bosom of his faith the perfidious enemies of him and of the
life-giving Cross by which we have been redeemed, namely the Saracens and all
other infidels whatsoever, [and how] after the city of Ceuta, situated in
Africa, had been subdued by the said King John to his dominion, and after
many wars had been waged, sometimes in person, by the said infante, although in the name of the
said King John, against the enemies and infidels aforesaid, not without the
greatest labors and expense, and with dangers and loss of life and property,
and the slaughter of very many of their natural subjects, the said infante
being neither enfeebled nor terrified by so many and great labors, dangers,
and losses, but growing daily more and more zealous in prosecuting this his
so laudable and pious purpose, has peopled with orthodox Christians certain
solitary islands in the ocean sea, and has caused churches and other pious places
to be there founded and built, in which divine service is celebrated. Also by
the laudable endeavor and industry of the said infante, very many inhabitants or dwellers in divers islands
situated in the said sea, coming to the knowledge of the true God, have
received holy baptism, to the praise and glory of God, the salvation of the
souls of many, the propagation also of the orthodox faith, and the increase
of divine worship. Moreover,
since, some time ago, it had come to the knowledge of the said infante that never, or at least not
within the memory of men, had it been customary to sail on this ocean sea
toward the southern and eastern shores, and that it was so unknown to us
westerners that we had no certain knowledge of the peoples of those parts, believing
that he would best perform his duty to God in this matter, if by his effort
and industry that sea might become navigable as far as to the Indians who are
said to worship the name of Christ, and that thus he might be able to enter
into relation with them, and to incite them to aid the Christians against the
Saracens and other such enemies of the faith, and might also be able
forthwith to subdue certain gentile or pagan peoples, living between, who are
entirely free from infection by the sect of the most impious Mahomet, and to
preach and cause to be preached to them the unknown but most sacred name of
Christ, strengthened, however, always by the royal authority, he has not
ceased for twenty-five years past to send almost yearly an army of the peoples
of the said kingdoms with the greatest labor, danger, and expense, in very
swift ships called caravels, to explore the sea and coast lands toward the
south and the Antarctic pole. And so it came to pass that when a number of
ships of this kind had explored and taken possession of very many harbors,
islands, and seas, they at length came to the province of Guinea, and having
taken possession of some islands and harbors and the sea adjacent to that
province, sailing farther they came to the mouth of a certain great river
commonly supposed to be the Nile, and war was waged for some years against
the peoples of those parts in the name of the said King Alfonso and of the infante, and in it very many islands
in that neighborhood were subdued and peacefully possessed, as they are still
possessed together with the adjacent sea. Thence also many Guineamen and
other negroes, taken by force, and some by barter of unprohibited articles,
or by other lawful contract of purchase, have been sent to the said kingdoms.
A large number of these have been converted to the Catholic faith, and it is
hoped, by the help of divine mercy, that if such progress be continued with
them, either those peoples will be converted to the faith or at least the
souls of many of them will be gained for Christ. But since, as
we are informed, although the king and infante
aforesaid (who with so many and so great dangers, labors, and expenses, and
also with loss of so many natives of their said kingdoms, very many of whom
have perished in those expeditions, depending only upon the aid of those
natives, have caused those provinces to be explored and have acquired and
possessed such harbors, islands, and seas, as aforesaid, as the true lords of
them), fearing lest strangers induced by covetousness should sail to those
parts, and desiring to usurp to themselves the perfection, fruit, and praise
of this work, or at least to hinder it, should therefore, either for the sake
of gain or through malice, carry or transmit iron, arms, wood used for
construction, and other things and goods prohibited to be carried to infidels
or should teach those infidels the art of navigation, whereby they would
become more powerful and obstinate enemies to the king and infante, and the prosecution of this
enterprise would either be hindered, or would perhaps entirely fail, not
without great offense to God and great reproach to all Christianity, to
prevent this and to conserve their right and possession, [the said king and infante] under certain most severe
penalties then expressed, have prohibited and in general have ordained that
none, unless with their sailors and ships and on payment of a certain tribute
and with an express license previously obtained from the said king or infante, should presume to sail to the
said provinces or to trade in their ports or to fish in the sea, [although
the king and infante have taken
this action, yet in time it might happen that persons of other kingdoms or
nations, led by envy, malice, or covetousness, might presume, contrary to the
prohibition aforesaid, without license and payment of such tribute, to go to
the said provinces, and in the provinces, harbors, islands, and sea, so
acquired, to sail, trade, and fish; and thereupon between King Alfonso and
the infante, who would by no means
suffer themselves to be so trifled with in these things, and the presumptuous
persons aforesaid, very many hatreds, rancors, dissensions, wars, and
scandals, to the highest offense of God and danger of souls, probably might
and would ensue -- We [therefore] weighing all and singular the premises with
due meditation, and noting that since we had formerly by other letters of
ours granted among other things free and ample faculty to the aforesaid King
Alfonso -- to invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens
and pagans whatsoever, and other enemies of Christ wheresoever placed, and
the kingdoms, dukedoms, principalities, dominions, possessions, and all
movable and immovable goods whatsoever held and possessed by them and to
reduce their persons to perpetual slavery, and to apply and appropriate to
himself and his successors the kingdoms, dukedoms, counties, principalities,
dominions, possessions, and goods, and to convert them to his and their use
and profit -- by having secured the said faculty, the said King Alfonso, or,
by his authority, the aforesaid infante,
justly and lawfully has acquired and possessed, and doth possess, these
islands, lands, harbors, and seas, and they do of right belong and pertain to
the said King Alfonso and his successors, nor without special license from
King Alfonso and his successors themselves has any other even of the faithful
of Christ been entitled hitherto, nor is he by any means now entitled
lawfully to meddle therewith -- in order that King Alfonso himself and his successors
and the infante may be able the
more zealously to pursue and may pursue this most pious and noble work, and
most worthy of perpetual remembrance (which, since the salvation of souls,
increase of the faith, and overthrow of its enemies may be procured thereby,
we regard as a work wherein the glory of God, and faith in Him, and His
commonwealth, the Universal Church, are concerned) in proportion as they,
having been relieved of all the greater obstacles, shall find themselves
supported by us and by the Apostolic See with favors and graces -- we, being
very fully informed of all and singular the premises, do, motu proprio, not at the instance of
King Alfonso or the infante, or on
the petition of any other offered to us on their behalf in respect to this
matter, and after mature deliberation, by apostolic authority, and from
certain knowledge, in the fullness of apostolic power, by the tenor of these
presents decree and declare that the aforesaid letters of faculty (the tenor
whereof we wish to be considered as inserted word for word in these presents,
with all and singular the clauses therein contained) are extended to Ceuta
and to the aforesaid and all other acquisitions whatsoever, even those
acquired before the date of the said letters of faculty, and to all those
provinces, islands, harbors, and seas whatsoever, which hereafter, in the
name of the said King Alfonso and of his successors and of the infante, in those parts and the
adjoining, and in the more distant and remote parts, can be acquired from the
hands of infidels or pagans, and that they are comprehended under the said
letters of faculty. And by force of those and of the present letters of
faculty the acquisitions already made, and what hereafter shall happen to be
acquired, after they shall have been acquired, we do by the tenor of these
presents decree and declare have pertained, and forever of right do belong
and pertain, to the aforesaid king and to his successors and to the infante, and that the right of conquest
which in the course of these letters we declare to be extended from the capes
of Bojador and of Não, as far as through all Guinea, and beyond toward that
southern shore, has belonged and pertained, and forever of right belongs and
pertains, to the said King Alfonso, his successors, and the infante, and not to any others. We
also by the tenor of these presents decree and declare that King Alfonso and
his successors and the infante
aforesaid might and may, now and henceforth, freely and lawfully, in these
[acquisitions] and concerning them make any prohibitions, statutes, and
decrees whatsoever, even penal ones, and with imposition of any tribute, and
dispose and ordain concerning them as concerning their own property and their
other dominions. And in order to confer a more effectual right and assurance
we do by these presents forever give, grant, and appropriate to the aforesaid
King Alfonso and his successors, kings of the said kingdoms, and to the infante, the provinces, islands,
harbors, places, and seas whatsoever, how many soever, and of what sort
soever they shall be, that have already been acquired and that shall
hereafter come to be acquired, and the right of conquest also from the capes
of Bojador and of Não aforesaid. Moreover,
since this is fitting in many ways for the perfecting of a work of this kind,
we allow that the aforesaid King Alfonso and [his] successors and the infante, as also the persons to whom
they, or any one of them, shall think that this work ought to be committed,
may (according to the grant made to the said King John by Martin V., of happy
memory, and another grant made also to King Edward of illustrious memory,
king of the same kingdoms, father of the said King Alfonso, by Eugenius IV.,
of pious memory, Roman pontiffs, our predecessors) make purchases and sales
of any things and goods and victuals whatsoever, as it shall seem fit, with
any Saracens and infidels, in the said regions; and also may enter into any
contracts, transact business, bargain, buy and negotiate, and carry any
commodities whatsoever to the places of those Saracens and infidels, provided
they be not iron instruments, wood to be used for construction, cordage,
ships, or any kinds of armor, and may sell them to the said Saracens and
infidels; and also may do, perform, or prosecute all other and singular
things [mentioned] in the premises, and things suitable or necessary in
relation to these; and that the same King Alfonso, his successors, and the infante, in the provinces, islands,
and places already acquired, and to be acquired by him, may found and [cause
to be] founded and built any churches, monasteries, or other pious places
whatsoever; and also may send over to them any ecclesiastical persons
whatsoever, as volunteers, both seculars, and regulars of any of the
mendicant orders (with license, however, from their superiors), and that
those persons may abide there as long as they shall live, and hear
confessions of all who live in the said parts or who come thither, and after
the confessions have been heard they may give due absolution in all cases,
except those reserved to the aforesaid see, and enjoin salutary penance, and
also administer the ecclesiastical sacraments freely and lawfully, and this
we allow and grant to Alfonso himself, and his successors, the kings of
Portugal, who shall come afterwards, and to the aforesaid infante. Moreover, we entreat in the
Lord, and by the sprinkling of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom, as
has been said, it concerneth, we exhort, and as they hope for the remission
of their sins enjoin, and also by this perpetual edict of prohibition we more
strictly inhibit, all and singular the faithful of Christ, ecclesiastics,
seculars, and regulars of whatsoever orders, in whatsoever part of the world
they live, and of whatsoever state, degree, order, condition, or pre-eminence
they shall be, although endued with archiepiscopal, episcopal, imperial,
royal, queenly, ducal, or any other greater ecclesiastical or worldly
dignity, that they do not by any means presume to carry arms, iron, wood for
construction, and other things prohibited by law from being in any way
carried to the Saracens, to any of the provinces, islands, harbors, seas, and
places whatsoever, acquired or possessed in the name of King Alfonso, or
situated in this conquest or elsewhere, to the Saracens, infidels, or pagans;
or even without special license from the said King Alfonso and his successors
and the infante, to carry or cause
to be carried merchandise and other things permitted by law, or to navigate or
cause to be navigated those seas, or to fish in them, or to meddle with the
provinces, islands, harbors, seas, and places, or any of them, or with this
conquest, or to do anything by themselves or another or others, directly or
indirectly, by deed or counsel, or to offer any obstruction whereby the
aforesaid King Alfonso and his successors and the infante may be hindered from quietly enjoying their acquisitions
and possessions, and prosecuting and carrying out this conquest. And we decree
that whosoever shall infringe these orders [shall incur the following
penalties], besides the punishments pronounced by law against those who carry
arms and other prohibited things to any of the Saracens, which we wish them
to incur by so doing; if they be single persons, they shall incur the
sentence of excommunication; if a community or corporation of a city, castle,
village, or place, that city, castle, village, or place shall be thereby
subject to the interdict; and we decree further that transgressors,
collectively or individually, shall not be absolved from the sentence of
excommunication, nor be able to obtain the relaxation of this interdict, by
apostolic or any other authority, unless they shall first have made due
satisfaction for their transgressions to Alfonso himself and his successors
and to the infante, or shall have
amicably agreed with them thereupon. By [these] apostolic writings we enjoin
our venerable brothers, the archbishop of Lisbon, and the bishops of Silves
and Ceuta, that they, or two or one of them, by himself, or another or
others, as often as they or any of them shall be required on the part of the
aforesaid King Alfonso and his successors and the infante or any one of them, on Sundays, and other festival days,
in the churches, while a large multitude of people shall assemble there for
divine worship, do declare and denounce by apostolic authority that those
persons who have been proved to have incurred such sentences of
excommunication and interdict, are excommunicated and interdicted, and have been
and are involved in the other punishments aforesaid. And we decree that they
shall also cause them to be denounced by others, and to be strictly avoided
by all, till they shall have made satisfaction for or compromised their
transgressions as aforesaid. Offenders are to be held in check by
ecclesiastical censure, without regard to appeal, the apostolic constitutions
and ordinances and all other things whatsoever to the contrary
notwithstanding. But in order that the present letters, which have been issued
by us of our certain knowledge and after mature deliberation thereupon, as is
aforesaid, may not hereafter be impugned by anyone as fraudulent, secret, or
void, we will, and by the authority, knowledge, and power aforementioned, we
do likewise by these letters, decree and declare that the said letters and
what is contained therein cannot in any wise be impugned, or the effect
thereof hindered or obstructed, on account of any defect of fraudulency,
secrecy, or nullity, not even from a defect of the ordinary or of any other
authority, or from any other defect, but that they shall be valid forever and
shall obtain full authority. And if anyone, by whatever authority, shall,
wittingly or unwittingly, attempt anything inconsistent with these orders we
decree that his act shall be null and void. Moreover, because it would be
difficult to carry our present letters to all places whatsoever, we will, and
by the said authority we decree by these letters, that faith shall be given
as fully and permanently to copies of them, certified under the hand of a
notary public and the seal of the episcopal or any superior ecclesiastical
court, as if the said original letters were exhibited or shown; and we decree
that within two months from the day when these present letters, or the paper
or parchment containing the tenor of the same, shall be affixed to the doors
of the church at Lisbon, the sentences of excommunication and the other
sentences contained therein shall bind all and singular offenders as fully as
if these present letters had been made known and presented to them in person
and lawfully. Therefore let no one infringe or with rash boldness contravene
this our declaration, constitution, gift, grant, appropriation, decree,
supplication, exhortation, injunction, inhibition, mandate, and will. But if
anyone should presume to do so, be it known to him that he will incur the
wrath of Almighty God and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. Given at Bibliographic reference This English
translation of Romanus Pontifex is
a reproduction of its publication in European
Treaties bearing on the History of the |
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