In Supremo Apostolatus-Pope Gregory XV DRAFT

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The Catholic Church and slavery

Posted onNovember 26, 2015byBernard Lauwyck

published  by Bernard Lauwyck  under the title

THE ROSEAU CATHEDRAL and THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY part 35

article # 35

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A Roseau Cathedral stained glass window , showing the Papal  TIARA, the triple crown worn by the Popes,   with the crossed keys, symbols of  spiritual  and temporal power and the words   “COLLATO  CLAVUM  PETRUM” :  entrusted with  the keys of Peter.

In this series of contributions to the history of Dominica , we have reached the year 1839.

It is a little known fact that in that year the head of the Catholic Church , Pope  Gregory XVI, spoke out strongly against the slave trade and slavery.

As the 19th century British abolitionist movement  grew out of  Protestant religious revivals   and  a  philosophical movement named the Enlightenment, the Catholic Church remained  distant .

That did however not mean that the morality of slavery was not questioned in Catholic highest circles.  After a broad consultation among the college of cardinals, Pope Gregory XVI published  a papal bull on December 3, 1839  resoundingly denouncing the slave trade and the institution of slavery.

Its name  “IN SUPREMO APOSTOLATUS”  comes, as customary, from the first three words of the latin document, translated as follows :

“PLACED AT THE SUMMIT of the Apostolic power and, although lacking in merits, holding the place of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who, being made Man through utmost Charity, deigned to die for the Redemption of the World, We have judged that it belonged to Our pastoral solicitude to exert Ourselves to turn away the Faithful from the inhuman slave trade in Negroes and all other men…….

We say with profound sorrow [that]…there were. among the Faithful men who, shamefully blinded by the desire of sordid gain, in lonely and distant countries, did not hesitate to reduce to slavery Indians, negroes and other wretched peoples, or else, by instituting or developing the trade in those who had been made slaves by others, to favour their unworthy practice.

Certainly many Roman Pontiffs of glorious memory, Our Predecessors, did not fail… to blame severely this way of acting as dangerous for the spiritual welfare of those engaged in the traffic and a shame to the Christian name ”

Then he  lists the  previous papal statements condemning slavery:

  • “Pope Pius II, as during his life the power of the Portuguese was extending itself over New Guinea, sent on October 7, 1462, … a Letter in which he… addresses grave warnings with regard to Christians who should reduce neophytes to slavery”.
  • “the Letter Apostolic of Paul III, given on May 29, 1537, under the seal of the Fisherman”
  • A “ Letter, addressed by Urban VIII on April 22, 1639 to the Collector Jurium of the Apostolic Chamber of Portugal. In the letter are severely and particularly condemned those who should dare ‘to reduce to slavery the Indians of the Eastern and Southern Indies…”.
  • Pope “ Benedict XIV confirmed and renewed the penalties of the Popes above mentioned in a new Apostolic Letter addressed on December 20, 1741, to the Bishops of Brazil and some other regions”

And  Pope Gregory XVI continues :

“This is why, desiring to remove such a shame from all the Christian nations, having fully reflected over the whole question and having taken the advice of many of Our Venerable Brothers the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, and walking in the footsteps of Our Predecessors, We warn and adjure earnestly in the Lord faithful Christians of every condition that no one in the future dare to vex anyone, despoil him of his possessions, reduce to servitude, or lend aid and favour to those who give themselves up to these practices, or exercise that inhuman traffic by which the Blacks, as if they were not men but rather animals, having been brought into servitude, in no matter what way, are, without any distinction, in contempt of the rights of justice and humanity, bought, sold, and devoted sometimes to the hardest labour. Further, in the hope of gain, propositions of purchase being made to the first owners of the Blacks, dissensions and almost perpetual conflicts are aroused in these regions.

We reprove, then, by virtue of Our Apostolic Authority, all the practices abovementioned as absolutely unworthy of the Christian name. By the same Authority We prohibit and strictly forbid any Ecclesiastic or lay person from presuming to defend as permissible this traffic in Blacks under no matter what pretext or excuse, or from publishing or teaching in any manner whatsoever, in public or privately, opinions contrary to what We have set forth in this Apostolic Letter.”       

The complete document can be found at  http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Greg16/g16sup.htm

This Apostolic Letter was read during the 4th Provincial Council of Baltimore, December 3, 1839. [SOURCE:http://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_gr16is.htm]

Pope Gregory’s decree became the source for an intense discourse between abolitionists and pro-slavery forces in the United States. During the Presidential campaign of 1840, the Democratic Party, then a bastion of slave owners, characterized “In Supremo” as proof of Vatican support for abolition. This claim united pro-slavery Protestants, largely in the South, many of whom held prejudices against Catholics.  [http://people.opposingviews.com/abolitionist-movement-catholic-church-8591.html]

The Bull was not well received among slave holding Catholics in the USA and  they interpreted the bull as denunciation of the slave trade only but not as a denunciation of the institution of slavery itself.

While the slave trade and slavery was abolished in 1834 in the British Empire, other countries took much longer to do so.

In 1848, France  abolished slavery in its colonies.  Colombia  abolished slavery in 1852, Argentina in 1853,  the Dutch in the Antilles  in 1863.  In the USA, a civil war ended slavery in 1865.  Slavery continued until 1873 in Puerto Rico, 1886 in Cuba, and 1888 in Brazil.

If you are interested in knowing more about Catholicism and Slavery, I recommend “THE POPES AND SLAVERY”, a book  by Fr. Joel. S. Panzer (1996).

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THE ROSEAU CATHEDRAL and the ABOLITION OF SLAVERYFebruary 8, 2015In “history of Dominica”

THE ROSEAU CATHEDRAL and the abolition of slaveryNovember 22, 2014In “DOMINICA 1830-1855”

THE ROSEAU CATHEDRAL and the ABOLITION OF SLAVERY in DOMINICA part 25July 25, 2015In “Abolition of slavery”

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Oh, behold the mighty testament of divine authority! In supremo apostolatus! A sacred, celestial decree emanating from the very throne of the Holy Father himself—Pope Gregory XVI! A resounding herald of divine will, a testament of heavenly power, this papal brief stands as an eternal beacon of Holy Mother Church’s unwavering might and boundless grace. It echoes through the ages, bearing witness to the divine mission entrusted to the supreme pontiff, guiding souls, shaping destinies, and reaffirming the sacred veneration of divine truth!

In supremo apostolatus is a papal brief issued by Pope Gregory XVI regarding the institution of slavery. Issued on December 3, 1839, as a result of a broad consultation among the College of Cardinals, the bull resoundingly denounces both the slave trade and the continuance of the institution of slavery.[1][2][3]

Content

The Bull outlines the history of Church attitudes to slavery, beginning with the Apostles who tolerated slavery but called on masters to “act well towards their slaves […] knowing that the common Master both of themselves and of the slaves is in Heaven, and that with Him there is no distinction of persons”. The Bull then discusses the involvement of Christians for and against slavery:

In the process of time, the fog of pagan superstition being more completely dissipated and the manners of barbarous people having been softened, thanks to Faith operating by Charity, it at last comes about that, since several centuries, there are no more slaves in the greater number of Christian nations. But – We say with profound sorrow – there were to be found afterwards among the Faithful men who, shamefully blinded by the desire of sordid gain, in lonely and distant countries, did not hesitate to reduce to slavery Indians, negroes and other wretched peoples, or else, by instituting or developing the trade in those who had been made slaves by others, to favour their unworthy practice. Certainly many Roman Pontiffs of glorious memory, Our Predecessors, did not fail, according to the duties of their charge, to blame severely this way of acting as dangerous for the spiritual welfare of those engaged in the traffic and a shame to the Christian name; they foresaw that as a result of this, the infidel peoples would be more and more strengthened in their hatred of the true Religion.[4]

The Bull refers to several earlier papal pronouncements seeking to alleviate the suffering of slaves, beginning with the bull Sublimis Deus of Pope Paul III, given on May 29, 1537, to the Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo, and that of Pope Urban VIII on April 22, 1639 to the Collector Jurium of the Apostolic Chamber of Portugal; then that of Pope Benedict XIV of December 20, 1741, to the Bishops of Brazil and some other regions; then another by Pope Pius II, of October 7, 1462 and finally (not referring to any specific occasion) Pope Pius VII. Pope Gregory then condemns the continuing slave trade:

[W]e have judged that it belonged to Our pastoral solicitude to exert Ourselves to turn away the Faithful from the inhuman slave trade in Negroes and all other men. […] [D]esiring to remove such a shame from all the Christian nations, having fully reflected over the whole question and having taken the advice of many of Our Venerable Brothers the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, and walking in the footsteps of Our Predecessors, We warn and adjure earnestly in the Lord faithful Christians of every condition that no one in the future dare to vex anyone, despoil him of his possessions, reduce to servitude, or lend aid and favour to those who give themselves up to these practices, or exercise that inhuman traffic by which the Blacks, as if they were not men but rather animals, having been brought into servitude, in no matter what way, are, without any distinction, in contempt of the rights of justice and humanity, bought, sold, and devoted sometimes to the hardest labour. Further, in the hope of gain, propositions of purchase being made to the first owners of the Blacks, dissensions and almost perpetual conflicts are aroused in these regions.
We reprove, then, by virtue of Our Apostolic Authority, all the practices abovementioned as absolutely unworthy of the Christian name. By the same Authority We prohibit and strictly forbid any Ecclesiastic or lay person from presuming to defend as permissible this traffic in Blacks under no matter what pretext or excuse, or from publishing or teaching in any manner whatsoever, in public or privately, opinions contrary to what We have set forth in this Apostolic Letter.[4]

Effects in the United States

The Bull had political consequences for the Catholic communities in slaveholding states, especially Maryland. The bishop of Charleston, John England, despite privately abhorring slavery, interpreted In supremo apostolatus in his ecclesiastical province as a condemnation of large-scale slave-trading, as opposed to the individual owning of slaves even though it forbade defending the institution of slavery “under any pretext…or excuse”.[5]

In 1852, American bishops convened upon Baltimore for the First Plenary Council of Baltimore, and remarks on the conditions of slaves were kept to the need for prayers for individuals in slavery.[5] The Irish-born archbishop of Baltimore, Francis Kenrick, raised the issue of the condition of slaves in America but concluded that “such is the state of things, [that] nothing should be attempted against the laws”.[6]

Two translations

Latin1844 Translation1972 Translation
Quare Nos, tantum hujusmodi probrum a cunctis christianorum finibus avertere cupientes, ac re universa nonnullis etiam venerabilibus Fratribus Nostris S. R. E. Cardinalibus in consilium adhibitis,Wherefore WE, desiring to turn away so great a reproach as this from all the boundaries of Christians, and the whole matter being maturely weighed, certain cardinals of the holy Roman Church, our venerable brethren being also called into council,This is why, desiring to remove such a shame from all the Christian nations, having fully reflected over the whole question and having taken the advice of many of Our Venerable Brothers the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church,
mature perpensa, Praedecessorum Nostrorum insistentes vestigiis, auctoritate Apostolica,treading in the footsteps of our predecessors, with apostolic authority,and walking in the footsteps of Our Predecessors,
omnes cujuscumque conditionis Christi fideles admonemus etobtestamur in Domino vehementer,do vehemently admonish and adjure in the Lord all believers in Christ, of whatsoever condition,We warn and adjure earnestly in the Lord faithful Christians of every condition
ne quis audeat in posterum Indos, Nigritas, seu alios hujusmodi homines injuste vexare,that no one hereafter may dare unjustly to molest Indians, negroes, or other men of this sort;that no one in the future dare to vex anyone,
aut spoliare suis bonis,or to spoil them of their goods;despoil him of his possessions,
aut in servitutem redigere,or to reduce them to slavery;reduce to servitude,
vel aliis talia in eos patrantibus auxilium aut favorem praestare,or to extend help or favour to others who perpetrate such things against them;or lend aid and favour to those who give themselves up to these practices,
seu exercere inhumanum illud commercium, quo Nigritae, tanquam si non homines, sed pura, putaque animantia forent,or to exercise that inhuman trade by which negroes, as if they were not men, but mere animals,or exercise that inhuman traffic by which the Blacks, as if they were not men but rather animals,
in servitutem utcumque redacti, sine ullo discrimine contra justitiae et humanitatis jura emuntur, venduntur, ac durissimis interdum laboribus exantlandis devoventur,howsoever reduced into slavery, are, without any distinction, contrary to the laws of justice and humanity, bought, sold, and doomed sometimes to the most severe and exhausting labours;having been brought into servitude, in no matter what way, are, without any distinction, in contempt of the rights of justice and humanity, bought, sold, and devoted sometimes to the hardest labour.
[7][7][8][9][4]

See also

References

“Pope Gregory XVI 3 December 1839 Condemning Slave Trade”. Retrieved February 16, 2010. Gillis, Chester (1999). Roman Catholicism in America. Columbia University Press. p. 58. ISBN978-0-231-10871-3. Diène, Doudou (August 2001). From chains to bonds. Berghahn Books. p. 271. ISBN978-1-57181-266-7. Pope Gregory XVI (3 December 1839). “In Supremo Apostolatus: Condemning the Slave Trade”. Papal Encyclicals Online. Curran, Robert Emmett (2012). Shaping American Catholicism: Maryland and New York, 1805-1915. Print: The Catholic University of America Press. ISBN978-0-8132-1967-7. Kenrick, Francis (1842). Theologica Moralis. Print: Apud Eugenium Cummiskey. England, John; Read, William George (1844), “Apostolic Letter of our most holy lord Gregory XVI, by divine providence, pope: Concerning the not carrying on the trade in negroes” (Google books), Letters of the late Bishop England to the Hon. John Forsyth on the subject of domestic slavery: to which are prefixed copies, in Latin and English, of the Pope’s Apostolic Letter, concerning The African Slave Trade, with some introductory remarks, etc., Baltimore: John Murphy, pp. ix-xi (& 2 pages before in Latin), retrieved March 17, 2013 Geo. Read: Letters to the Honorable John Forsyth, On the Subject of Domestic Slavery Archived 2011-01-04 at the Wayback Machine, December 19, 1843, Jesuit Plantation Project, georgetown.edu “Snipset at Google books” (Google books), Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, 82–84, American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia: 74 (RA1-PA74), 1971, retrieved March 17, 2013

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