The Catholic Church And Slavery

[Cure of Ars]

The Catholic Church unhesitatingly condemned racial slavery as soon as it began. In 1435, six decades before Columbus sailed, Pope Eugene IV condemned the enslavement of the black natives of the Canary Islands, and ordered their European masters to manumit the enslaved within 15 days, under pain of excommunication. In 1537, Pope Paul III condemned the enslavement of West Indian and South American natives, and explicitly attributed that evil, "unheard of before now," to "the enemy of the human race," Satan.

Papal condemnations of slavery were repeated by Popes Gregory XIV (1591), Urban VIII (1639), Innocent XI (1686), Benedict XIV (1741), and Piux VII (1815). In 1839, Pope Gregory XVI wrote,

We, by apostolic authority, warn and strongly exhort... that no one in the future dare to bother unjustly, despoil of their possessions, or reduce to slavery Indians, Blacks or other such peoples.

Pope Leo XIII (1890), too, condemned slavery, and so did the Second Vatican Council (1965).

This was written by Lane Core, Jr.

I got this here.

[ironmonk]

The majority of the slaves brought over from Africa were Catholic.

God Bless,

ironmonk

[God Conquers]

The emancipation of slaves in Latin America was a process started by Catholic Priests, Hidalga, in 1810 led a revolution in Mexico, the first of many, in order to free slaves and bring about social revolution. Unfortunately he was condemned by the mexican Bishops and executed, as is often the case.

[Don John of Austria]

I just saw this while looking for another thread. Cur is right about the condemnation of racial slavery. but one little factual thing. The natives of the Canary Islands were not black they were olive skined, at least thats hat the Spaniards we read in Comparative colonization said.

[notbilln]

Eh, I wouldn't bragg about this. The pope may have spoken, but its clear that the "catholic " kingdom of spain didn't listen. Millions of natives died in the silver mines of latin america.

[Cure of Ars]

Eh, I wouldn't bragg about this. The pope may have spoken, but its clear that the "catholic " kingdom of spain didn't listen. Millions of natives died in the silver mines of latin america.

If we are bragging it is because of the Holy Spirit, not human power that the Pope got things right. That Catholic's did not listen is not surprising. Look at how many Catholics in the US believe in abortion and contraception.

[Norseman82]

Hey Ironmonk,

Who were the majority of slaveholders of the south - Catholic or non-Catholic? Bring that up to Pastor Rice in refutation of his ridiculous charge of "find out what Catholicism is about by asking 100 Catholics on the street"....

[PedroX]

Norseman,

By sheer numbers, the majority of slave holders in the American South were Protestants. There simply weren't many Catholics in the South. The Southern Baptist church was actually created because they wanted to maintain slavery while the Northern Baptists (now the American Baptists) wanted to be against it. The SBs apologized for this about 5 years ago. Just FYI

peace...