Catholic Response to Slavery

[OLG]

My children are researching slavery in America in the 1700s. Many of the resources that they have found state that most churches at that time, including Christian churches, approved of or or at least tolerated the practice.

1. Did Catholic bishops and priests in the Americas at that time speak out against slavery?
2. Where can I find information or documents that show how the Church opposed slavery at various time in history?

Thanks for any help that you can provide.

 

[Peggy_Frye]

Papal condemnations of slavery were repeated by Popes Gregory XIV (1591), Urban VIII (1639), Innocent XI (1686), Benedict XIV (1741), and Piux VII (1815). In 1839, Pope Gregory XVI wrote,
Pope Leo XIII (1890), too, condemned slavery, and so did the Second Vatican Council (1965).
ic.net/~erasmus/RAZ168.HTM

The Catholic Church and slavery:
catholiceducation.org/articles/facts/fm0006.html

For in-depth information on slavery and Christianity I recommend the following article:

• Slavery