Christian Slavery - Bad News About Christianity

The Portuguese Slave Trade
In 1493 (the year after Columbus discovered the America) Pope Alexander VI made explicit the
rights of Catholics in the Americas. He authorised the King of Spain to enslave non-Christians of
the Americas at war with Catholic powers - in other words anyone who resisted the invasion and
Pope Nicholas V issued the papal bull Dum diversas
on 18 June, 1452. It authorised King Alfonso V of
Portugal to reduce any "Saracens (Muslims) and
pagans and any other unbelievers to perpetual
slavery. He issued another bull Romanus pontifex on
January 5, 1455 also addressed to King Alfonso. It
extended dominion over newly discovered lands to
the Catholic nations of Europe. It sanctified the
seizure of non-Christian lands, and encouraged the
enslavement of native, non-Christian peoples
throughout the World:
We, weighing all and singular the premises
with due meditation, and noting that since we
had formerly by other letters of ours granted
among other things free and ample faculty to
the aforesaid King Alfonso -- to invade, search
out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all
Saracens and pagans whatsoever, and other enemies of Christ wheresoever
placed, and the kingdoms, dukedoms, principalities, dominions, possessions, and
all movable and immovable goods whatsoever held and possessed by them and
to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery, and to apply and appropriate to
himself and his successors the kingdoms, dukedoms, counties, principalities,
dominions, possessions, and goods, and to convert them to his and their use and
profit -- by having secured the said faculty, the said King Alfonso, or, by his
authority, the aforesaid infante, justly and lawfully has acquired and possessed,
and doth possess, these islands, lands, harbors, and seas, and they do of right
belong and pertain to the said King Alfonso and his successors.
Slaves being brought to Brazil in a Portuguese Caravel
Benedictine monks still owned slaves in Brazil as late as 1864, around the same time that
clergymen in the southern states of the USA were obliged to give up their slaves.
Spanish Slavery
The Spanish Inquisition were keen slavers. A single inquisitor, Torquemada, had 97,371 people
condemned to slavery. The practice was not restricted to mainland Spain. Spain also ruled an
empire. Pope Nicholas V, in his bull Romanus pontifex of 1455, had given his blessing to the
enslavement of conquered native people, by Catholics, whether Portuguese or Spanish.