In supremo Apostolatus Fastigio

In supremo apostolatus there is an apostolic letter of December 3, 1839, with Pope Gregory XVI. condemned the slave trade . This letter will be published at the 4th Synod of Bishops in Baltimore ( USA ). The letter was not particularly welcomed by Catholics in Maryland , attempts were made to keep the Pope's letter secret, and Catholic bishops in America were reluctant and did not submit a statement.

Table of contents

In his greeting he goes into the biblical mention of slaves and masters . He cites Eph 6.55  EU , Col 3.22  EU and Col 4.1  EU , where the tasks of the slaves are presented. He refers the “Lords” again to Ephesians 6.55 and to Mt 25.35  EU , where responsibility for the Lords (also “shepherds”) is reminded, and calls on them to comply with the regulations. In continuation of his introduction he disapproves of the slave trade and complains that it is Christian believers of all people who violate the commandments of humanity and respect for human beings.

He also recalls that several of his predecessors, church scholars and bishops had condemned the state of the slave trade. He describes human trafficking as a Christian crime and threatens believing Christians with sanctions in his capacity and authority. He forbids the slave trade and calls on the clergy to enforce this directive accordingly. Finally, Gregory XVI. announced that this letter will be posted for notice in all parishes .

Two English translations

There are two English translations, which differ in one important point: The older one contains the word unjustly ("unjustly"), which caused the American bishop not to be against slavery in all cases. This word is missing in the more recent translation.

Latin	Translation 1844	Translation 1972
Quare Nos, tantum hujusmodi probrum a cunctis christianorum finibus avertere cupientes, ac re universa nonnullis etiam venerabilibus Fratribus Nostris SRE Cardinalibus in consilium adhibitis,	Wherefore WE, desiring to turn away so great a reproach as this from all the voundaries of Christians, and the whole matter being maturely weighed, certain cardinals of the holy Roman Church, our venerable brethen being also called into council,	This is why, desiring to remove such a shame from all the Christian nations, having fully reflected over the whole question and having taken the advice of many of Our Venerable Brothers the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church,
mature perpensa, Praedecessorum Nostrorum insistentes vestigiis, auctoritate Apostolica,	treading in the footsteps of our predecessors, with apostolic authority,	and walking in the footsteps of Our Predecessors,
omnes cujuscumque conditionis Christi fideles admonemus etobtestamur in Domino vehementer,	do vehemently admonish and adjure in the Lord all believers in Christ, of whatsoever condition,	We warn and adjure earnestly in the Lord faithful Christians of every condition
ne quis audeat in posterum Indos , Nigritas , seu alios hujusmodi homines injuste vexare ,	that no one hereafter may dare unjustly to molest Indians , negroes , or other men of this sort;	that no one in the future dare to vex anyone ,
aut spoliare suis bonis,	or to spoil them of their goods;	despoil him of his possessions,
aut in servitutem redigere,	or to reduce them to slavery;	reduce to servitude,
vel aliis talia in eos patrantibus auxilium aut favorem praestare,	or to extend help or favor to others who perptrate such things against them;	or lend aid and favor to those who give themselves up to these practices,
seu exercere inhumanum illud commercium, quo Nigritae, tanquam si non homines, sed pura, putaque animantia forent,	or to exercise thath inhuman trade by which negroes, as if they were not men, but mere animals,	or exercise that inhuman traffic by which the Blacks, as if they were not men but rather animals,
in servitutem utcumque redacti, sine ullo discrimine contra justitiae et humanitatis jura emuntur, venduntur, ac durissimis interdum laboribus exantlandis devoventur,	howsoever reduced into slavery, are, without any distinction, contrary to the laws of justice and humanity, bought, sold, and doomed sometimes to the most sever and exhausting labor;	having been brought into servitude, in no matter what way, are, without any distinction, in contempt of the rights of justice and humanity, bought, sold, and sometimes devoted to the hardest labor.

See also

• Encyclical In plurimis

literature

• Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church , Herder Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau, 2006, ISBN 3-451-29078-2

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} John England, William George Read: Letters of the late Bishop England to the Hon. John Forsyth on the subject of domestic slavery . to which are prefixed copies, in Latin and English, of the Pope's Apostolic Letter, concerning The African Slave Trade, with some introductory remarks, etc. John Murphy, Baltimore 1844, Apostolic Letter of our most holy lord Gregory XVI, by divine providence, pope: Concerning the not carrying on the trade in negroes, p. ix-xi (and two sentences before that in Latin) ( online in Google Book Search [accessed March 17, 2013]).
2. ↑ George Read: Letters to the Honorable John Forsyth, On the Subject of Domestic Slavery & THE APOSTOLIC LETTER OF OUR MOST HOLY LORD GREGRORY XVI., BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE, POPE: CONCERNING THE NOT CARRYING ON THE TRADE OF NEGROES. (No longer available online.) In: Jesuit Plantation Project. georgetown.edu, December 19, 1843, archived from the original January 4, 2011 ; Retrieved March 17, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ↑ American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia (ed.): Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia . tape 82-84 , pp. 74 (RA1-PA74) ( Snipset in Google Book Search [accessed March 17, 2013]).
4. ↑ IN SUPREMO APOSTOLATUS. In: Papal Encyclicals Online. Retrieved March 17, 2013 .