Throughout most of human history, slavery has been practiced and accepted many cultures and religions around the world. In antiquity and even into the Early Medieval period, the Catholic Church initially accepted slavery as an established social institution; however, it always taught that slaves should be treated humanely and justly. Throughout Christian antiquity and the Middle Ages, theologians generally followed St.

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  • Throughout most of human history, slavery has been practiced and accepted many cultures and religions around the world. In antiquity and even into the Early Medieval period, the Catholic Church initially accepted slavery as an established social institution; however, it always taught that slaves should be treated humanely and justly. Throughout Christian antiquity and the Middle Ages, theologians generally followed St. Augustine in holding that although slavery was not written into the natural moral law it was not absolutely forbidden by that law. Between the 6th and 12th century there was a growing sentiment that slavery was not compatible with Christian conceptions of charity and justice; some Catholics such as Saint Bathilde, Saint Anskar, Saint Wulfstan and Saint Anselm campaigned against slavery and the slave trade. The Middle Ages witnessed the emergence of orders of monks such as the Mercedarians who were founded for the purpose of freeing slaves. By the end of the Medieval period, enslavement of Christians had been largely abolished throughout Europe although enslavement of non-Christians remained permissible. Although Catholic clergy, religious orders and even some popes owned slaves, Catholic teaching began to turn towards the abolition of slavery beginning in 1435 and culminating in three major pronouncements against slavery by Pope Paul III in 1537. A number of Popes issued papal bulls condemning enslavement and mistreatment of Native Americans by Spanish and Portuguese colonials; however, these were largely ignored despite the threat of excommunication. Nonetheless, Catholic missionaries such as the Jesuits worked to alleviate the suffering of Native American slaves in the New World. In spite of a resounding condemnation of slavery by Pope Gregory XVI in his bull In Supremo Apostolatus issued in 1839, some American bishops continued to support slaveholding interests until the abolition of slavery. In 1993, Pope John Paul II apologized for the Catholic Church's nsupport for slavery.
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  • Throughout most of human history, slavery has been practiced and accepted many cultures and religions around the world. In antiquity and even into the Early Medieval period, the Catholic Church initially accepted slavery as an established social institution; however, it always taught that slaves should be treated humanely and justly. Throughout Christian antiquity and the Middle Ages, theologians generally followed St.
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  • Catholic Church and slavery
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