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ashym.domesticaffairs1018123,10:14 PM Sublimis Deus On the Enslavement and Evangelization of lndians
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Sublimis Deus
On the Enslavement and Evangelization of Indians
Pope Paul III - 1537
Pope Paul III (Topic: the enslavement and evangelization oflndians)
To all faithful Christians to whom this writing may come, health in Christ our Lord and the apostolic benediction.
The sublime God so loved the human race that He created man in such wise that he might participate, not only in the good that other creatures enjoy, but endowed
him with capacity to attain to the inaccessible and invisible Supreme Good and behold it face to face; and since man, according to the testimony ofthe sacred
scriptures, has been created to enjoy eternal life and happiness, which none may obtain save through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary that he should
possess the nature and faculties enabling him to receive that faith; and that whoever is thus endowed should be capable ofreceiving that same faith. Nor is it
credible that any one should possess so little understanding as to desire the faith and yet be destitute ofthe most necessary faculty to enable him to receive it.
Hence Christ, who is the Truth itself, that has never failed and can never fail, said to the preachers ofthe faith whom He chose for that office 'Go ye and teach all
nations.'He said all, without exception, for all are capable ofreceiving the doctrines ofthe faith.
The enemy ofthe human race, who opposes all good deeds in order to bring men to destruction, beholding and enrying this, invented a means never before heard
of, by which he might hinder the preaching of God's word of Salvation to the people: he inspired his satellites who, to please him, have not hesitated to publish
abroad that the Indians ofthe West and the South, and other people ofwhom We have recent knowledge should be treated as dumb brutes created for our service,
pretending that they are incapable of receiving the Catholic Faith.
We, who, though unworthy, exercise on earth the power of our Lord and seek with all our might to bring those sheep of His flock who are outside into the fold
committed to our charge, consider, however, that the lndians are truly men and that they are not only capable ofunderstanding the Catholic Faith but, according to
our information, they desire exceedingly to receive it. Desiring to provide ample remedy for these evils, We define and declare by these Our letters, or by any
translation thereofsigned by any notary public and sealed with the seal ofany ecclesiastical dignitary, to which the same credit shall be given as to the originals,
that, notwithstanding whatever may have been or may be said to the contrary, the said Indians and all other people who may later be discovered by Christians, are
try no means to be deprived oftheir liberty or the possession of their property, even though they be outside the faith ofJesus Christ; and that they may and should,
freely and legitimately, enjoy their liberty and the possession oftheir property; nor should they be in any way enslaved; should the contrary happen, it shall be null
and have no effect.
By virtue ofOur apostolic authority We define and declare by these present letters. or by any translation thereofsigned by any notary public and sealed with the
seal ofany ecclesiastical dignitary, which shall thus command the same obedience as the originals, that the said lndians and other peoples should be converted to
the faith of Jesus Christ by preaching the word ofGod and by the example of good and holy
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