Catholicism and slavery

[snow_white]

I am taking a US History class with a very liberal textbook. In this textbook it says that Catholics were for slavery just like protestants were. Perhaps they were, I don’t know. But does anybody know what the Church had to say about slavery at this time? I would prefer to see something that was written in that period, rather than from this period looking back. I look forward to your answers!

 

[puzzleannie]

some were, some were not supporters of slavery, among all denominations. some prominent protestant preachers and doubtless some Catholic priests as well actually used the bible to support slavery, while others used it to preach against slavery. It is notable that popes in the 16th century, when Europeans discovered both the new world and the heart of Africa (where the slave trade was already flourishing among the Muslim African kingdoms) condemned the practice of selling humans and also of enslaving Indians.

 

[Scott_Waddell]

Let’s be clear here. Countries that were ostensibly Catholic practiced slavery, but everytime the Church considered chattel slavery, it was to condemn it. Read this: catholic.com/thisrock/1999/9907fea2.asp

In a way, this is similar to the silly charge that the Church’s teaching on contraception causes or contributes to the spread of AIDS in Africa. Saying that the Church’s teachings are bad because they do not help the people who don’t obey them is like saying aspirin is no good because it does not cure the headaches of those who don’t take it.

Scott

P.S. I nicked that last quote from somewhere, but I forget who said it.