|
Paul III Pope.
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 of the 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 of receiving
that same faith. Nor is it credible that any one should possess so
little understanding as to desire the faith and yet be destitute of the
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 of the faith whom He chose for that office 'Go ye and
teach all nations.' He said all, without exception, for all are capable
of receiving the doctrines of the faith.
The enemy of the human race, who opposes all good deeds in order to
bring men to destruction, beholding and envying 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 of
the West and the South, and other people of whom 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 Indians are 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. Desiring to provide ample remedy
for these evils, We define and declare by these Our letters, or by any
translation thereof signed by any notary public and sealed with the
seal of any 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 by no means to be
deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, even
though they be outside the faith of Jesus Christ; and that they may and
should, freely and legitimately, enjoy their liberty and the possession
of their property; nor should they be in any way enslaved; should the
contrary happen, it shall be null and have no effect.
By virtue of Our apostolic authority We define and declare by these
present letters, or by any translation thereof signed by any notary
public and sealed with the seal of any ecclesiastical dignitary, which
shall thus command the same obedience as the originals, that the said
Indians and other peoples should be converted to the faith of Jesus
Christ by preaching the word of God and by the example of good and holy
living.
|
|
