Monday, January 29, 2007
The Pope Authorizes Slavery
The following quote comes from this source (emphasis added by Steve)
The origins of this Papal doctrine [legalizaing slavery] may be traced to the conflicts between Christians and Moslems in the 15th century. King Alfonso of Portugal had caused his armies to do battle with the "Saracens" in Africa, and extended his operations to Guinea. Pope Nicholas V, in the Bull Romanus Pontifex (January 8, 1455) acknowledged the contributions of Alfonso and his son Prince Henry to the "cause": "...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 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." Such was the ideology of the birth of the infamous Slave Trade.
Pope Nicholas then directed his attention to the rest of the world, authorizing 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 slavery."
Immediately upon hearing of Columbus' "discoveries," King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain dispatched the news to Pope Alexander VI (a notable reprobate), who issued a Bull, Inter Caetera (May 3, 1493), greeting their recent victory over the Moslems in the siege of Granada, but also noting the prospects for New World "gold, spices, and very many other precious things of divers kinds and qualities. Wherefore, after earnest consideration of all matters, as becomes Catholic kings and princes, and especially of the rise and spread of the Catholic faith, as was the fashion of your ancestors, kings of renowned memory, you have purposed with the favor of divine clemency to bring under your sway the said countries and islands with their residents and inhabitants, and to bring them to the Catholic faith." Alexander then "gave" the new territories to the Spanish king and queen, with the sole condition that no other Christian monarchs had previously held such a dominion. For anyone who might happen to oppose this authorization, Alexander stated: "Should anyone 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."
The slaughter of Native Americans that then commenced was chronicled by Father Bartholomé de las Casas, in his Destruction of the Indies, and other works. Entire peoples were exterminated; literally millions were slain in conquests of Peru, Mexico and so on. Many who were not butchered by the sword died of appalling epidemics. All of this rapidly grew into the "Black Legend" of Spanish and Portugese atrocities, and was made much of in British propaganda, cheap editions of Las Casas, including gruesome illustrations, were widely distributed.
From a legal standpoint, these Papal documents were important because they fit into a theory of the fight of Discovery. A distinction was made between Discovery and Occupancy, as if these lands had been inhabited by wild animals instead of human beings. That is, a bear or a lion might be said to occupy or live in a territory, but did not and could not have title to it. That indigenous tribes occupied territory could not be denied, but they had no rights, which could be authorized only by papal authority.
