Sublimis Deus

Sublimis Deus
Latin for 'The sublime God'
Papal bull of Pope Paul III
Coat of arms of Pope Paul III
Signature date 2 June 1537
SubjectProhibition of the enslavement of the indigenous people of the Americas
Text
 

Sublimis Deus (English: The sublime God;[1] erroneously cited as Sublimus Dei) is a Papal bull promulgated by Pope Paul III on June 2, 1537, which forbids the enslavement of the indigenous peoples of the Americas (called "Indians of the West and the South") and all other indigenous people who could be discovered later or previously known.[2] It states that the Indians are fully rational human beings who have rights to freedom and property, even if they are heathen.[3] Another related document is the ecclesiastical letter Pastorale officium, issued May 29, 1537, and usually seen as a companion document to Sublimis Deus.[4]

There is still some controversy about how this bull is related to the documents known as Veritas ipsa, Unigenitus Deus and Pastorale officium (May 29, 1537). Alberto de la Hera believes that Veritas ipsa and Unigenitus Deus are simply other versions of Sublimis Deus, and not separate bulls.[5] Joel Panzer sees Veritas ipsa as an earlier draft of Sublimis Deus.[6]

In Sublimis Deus, Paul III declares the indigenous peoples of the Americas to be "truly men and that they are not only capable of understanding the Catholic Faith but, according to our information, they desire exceedingly to receive it", and denounces any idea to the contrary as directly inspired by the "enemy of the human race". He goes on to condemn their reduction to slavery in the strongest terms, declaring it null and void for any people known as well as any that could be discovered in the future, entitles their right to liberty and property, and concludes with a call for their evangelization.[1]

The bull had a strong impact on the Valladolid debate. Its principles became part of New Laws issued by Charles V in Spain, although such laws were often ignored by the colonists and conquistadores themselves.[7]

  1. ^ a b "Sublimis Deus On the Enslavement and Evangelization of Indians". Papal Encyclicals. May 29, 1537. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  2. ^ Latin and English in Joel S. Panzer: The Popes and Slavery (New York: Alba House, 1996), pp. 79-81 "Sublimis Deus sic delexit humanum genus" (The exalted God loved the human race so much)
  3. ^ A History of Latin America to 1825. John Wiley & Sons. December 21, 2009. ISBN 9781405183680 – via Google Books.
    "Traboulay, David M., "Las Casas Remembered: The 500th Anniversary of the Struggle for the Human Rights of the Native Peoples of America" (2015). CUNY Academic Works".
    Stamatov, Peter (December 23, 2013). The Origins of Global Humanitarianism: Religion, Empires, and Advocacy. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107470286 – via Google Books.
    Drew, David (August 19, 1999). "The lost chronicles of the Maya kings". Berkeley ; Los Angeles : University of California Press – via Internet Archive.
    Fahlbusch, Erwin (May 2008). The Encyclopedia of Christianity. BRILL. ISBN 9789004169678.
    Schultz, David Andrew (2010-05-18). Encyclopedia of the United States Constitution. Infobase. ISBN 9781438126777.
  4. ^ Pierce, Donna; Gomar, Rogelio Ruiz; Bargellini, Clara (May 2004). Painting a New World: Mexican Art and Life, 1521-1821. University of Texas Press. p. 98. ISBN 9780914738497. sublimis deus Indians were fully rational human.
  5. ^ Alberto de la Hera, "El derecho de los indios a la libertad y a la fe: la bula Sublimis Deus y los problemas indianos que la motivaron,” Anuario de historia del derecho español, Vol. 26, 1956, 89-182
  6. ^ The Popes and Slavery [New York: Alba House, 1996] p. 17
  7. ^ Maxwell 1975, p.58, 68–71