Slavery and Catholicism by Richard Roscoe Miller

Author:Richard Roscoe Miller [Miller, Richard Roscoe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, History, Military, Other, United States, Americas, 20th Century
ISBN: 9781839746901
Google: 4GwTAQAAMAAJ
Publisher: Barakaldo Books
Published: 2021-05-03T04:00:00+00:00

At Rome:—By the Types of the Urban College.—1840

Gregory XVI,

Pope For the future memory of the matter.

Placed at the supreme height to the Apostolate, and although no merits of our own assisting, vicegerents of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who, by reason of his exceeding great charity, having been made man hath also vouchsafed to die for the redemption of the world, we consider that it pertaineth to our pastoral solicitude that we should thoroughly endeavor to turn away the faithful from the inhuman traffic in Negroes or any other class of men. (Note, This statement is the earliest recognition—and then only by inference—in all official Catholic communications, that the Negro is a man.)

When, indeed, the light of the Gospel, first began to be diffused, those wretched persons, who, at that time, in such great numbers, went down into the most rigorous slavery, principally by occasional wars, felt their condition very much alleviated among the Christians. For the apostles, inspired by the Divine Spirit, taught in fact, the slaves themselves to obey their carnal masters as Christ, and to do the will of God from the heart; but they commanded the masters to act well towards the slaves, and to do to them what is just and equal, and to forbear threatenings; knowing that there is a Master, both of those and of themselves in the heavens, and that with Him there is no respect of persons.

Universally, however, since sincere charity to all would most strenuously be recommended by the law of the Gospel, and Christ, our Lord, could declare that he would esteem as done or denied to the least and to the poor, it easily ensued therefrom, not only that Christians should regard their slaves, and especially Christians, as brethren, but also that they should be more prone to present with liberty those who might deserve it; which, indeed, Gregory, of Nyassa, indicates to have been first habitually done on the occasion of the paschal solemnities. Nor were wanting some who, excited by more ardent charity, cast themselves into chains that they might redeem others, of whom that apostolic man, our predecessor, Clement I, the same of most holy memory, testifies that he had known many. Therefore, in the course of time, the darkness of pagan superstitions being more fully dissipated, and the morals also of the ruler nations being softened by means of faith working by charity, the matter progressed so far that now, for many ages no slaves can be held among many Christian nations. But, grieving much we say it, there were subsequently, from the very number of the faithful, those who, basely blinded by the lust of sordid gain, in remote and distant lands, reduced to slavery Indians, Negroes, or other miserable persons, or, by traffic begun and extended in those who had been made captive by others, did not hesitate to aid the shameful crime of the latter. By no means, indeed, did many Roman pontiffs of glorious memory, our predecessors, omit severely

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