Sublimis Deus

Sublimis Deus is a pontifical bubble of Paul III, May 29th 1537, which prohibits the Esclavage Indiens of America.

It takes again almost the same terms as in its letter Veritas ipsa with the cardinal Jean de Tavera, the archbishop of Tolède.

In this pontifical bubble, the Pape Paul III condemns without call the practice of the Esclavage, which has just started and which he denounces like directly inspired by the Enemy of mankind (Satan), which indicates rather clearly that there is no tergiversation in his judgment on this point. However, the Réforme passed and the voice of the pope does not have any more on the Chrétienté the disciplinary effect only it still had a few centuries before (although the prohibition of the Arquebuse always remained dead letter it also).

In spite of this unambiguous bubble, slavery will develop without obstacle until the XIXe century: the Pope has temporal authority only on his clean States, and the traumatism of the secession of Henry VIII remains present in the memories: to excommunicate everyone, one would not be any more the pope of anybody.

Full text (in its French version) - Sublimus Dei

the Pope Paul III, with all the faithful Christians to which will arrive this writing, health in Christ our Lord and apostolic blessing. sublime God so much liked the mankind, which It created the man in such a wisdom that not only it can take part in the benefits which the other creatures enjoy, but still that it is equipped with the capacity to reach inaccessible and invisible God and to contemplate it face to face; and since the man, according to the testimony of the Crowned Writings, was created to taste the eternal life and the joy, that no one can reach and preserve only through the faith as a Our-Lord Jesus-Christ, it is necessary that it has nature and faculties who make it able to receive this faith and who whoever is affected of these gifts must be able to receive this same faith.

Ainsi, it is not conceivable that whoever has if little understanding that, wishing the faith, it is however stripped of the necessary faculty which enables him to receive it. From where it comes that Christ, which is the Truth itself, which failed forever and will never fail, said to the preachers faith that he chooses for this office “ Allez to teach all the nations ”. He said all, without exception, because all are able to receive the doctrines of the faith.

the Enemy of the mankind, which is opposed to all the good deeds in order to lead the men to their loss, indicator and envying that, invented a new means by which it could block the preaching of the word of God for the safety of the people: It inspired its auxiliaries which, it to like, did not hesitate to publish abroad that the Indians of the Occident and the South, and other people of which We were informed recently, should be treated like beasts of burden created to be useful to us, applicant who they are unable to receive the Catholic Faith.

Us who, although makes indignant at this honor, exert on ground the power of Our-Lord and seek of all our forces to bring back the ewes placed at the outside of his herd in the fold of which we have the load, consider at all events, that the Indians are truly men and who they are not only able to include/understand the Catholic Faith, but that, according to our information, they are very eager to receive it. Wishing to provide to these evils the adapted remedies, We define and declare by this apostolic letter, or any translation which can be about it signed by a notary public and sealed seal of any ecclesiastical dignitary, to which the same credit will be given as to the original, than no matter what it can have been known as or to be known as of opposite, known as Indiens and all the other people which can be later discovered by the Christians, cannot in no case to be private of their freedom or the possession of their goods, even if they remain apart from the faith of Jesus-Christ; and that they can and would have, freely and legitimately, to enjoy freedom and the possession their goods, and that they should not in no case to be reduced in slavery; if that arrived despite everything, this slavery would be considered null and nonwhich occurred.

By the virtue of our apostolic authority, We define and declare by the present letter, or by any translation signed by a public notary and sealed seal of the ecclesiastical dignity, which will impose same obedience as the original, than known as Indiens and other people are converted with the faith of Jesus Christ by the preaching of the word of God and for the example of a good and holy life.

Given to Rome, on May 29th of the year 1537, the third of Our Pontificate.

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