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To the Catholic
Missionaries in Africa.
Slavery and the Church
The maternal love of the Catholic Church embraces all people. As you
know, venerable brother, the Church from the beginning sought to
completely eliminate slavery, whose wretched yoke has oppressed many
people. It is the industrious guardian of the teachings of its Founder
who, by His words and those of the apostles, taught men the fraternal
necessity which unites the whole world. From Him we recall that
everybody has sprung from the same source, was redeemed by the same
ransom, and is called to the same eternal happiness. He assumed the
neglected cause of the slaves and showed Himself the strong champion of
freedom. Insofar as time and circumstances allowed, He gradually and
moderately accomplished His goal. Of course, pressing constantly with
prudence and planning, He showed what He was striving for in the name
of religion, justice, and humanity. In this way He put national
prosperity and civilization in general into His debt. This zeal of the
Church for liberating the slaves has not languished with the passage of
time; on the contrary, the more it bore fruit, the more eagerly it
glowed. There are incontestable historical documents which attest to
that fact, documents which commended to posterity the names of many of
Our predecessors. Among them St. Gregory the Great, Hadrian I,
Alexander III, Innocent III, Gregory IX, Pius II, Leo X, Paul III,
Urban VIII, Benedict XIV, Pius VII, and Gregory XVI stand out. They
applied every effort to eliminate the institution of slavery wherever
it existed. They also took care lest the seeds of slavery return to
those places from which this evil institution had been cut away.
Actions of the Present Pope
2. We could not repudiate such a laudable inheritance. For this reason,
We have taken every occasion to openly condemn this gloomy plague of
slavery. We worked toward this goal in a letter sent to the bishops of
Brazil on May 5, 1888. In it We rejoiced over their exemplary
accomplishments, both private and public, in the area of emancipation.
At the same time We showed how much slavery opposes religion and human
dignity. While writing, We were deeply moved by the plight of those who
are subject to the mastery of another. We were bitterly afflicted by
accounts of the trials which harass all the inhabitants of the African
interior. How horrible it is to recall that almost four hundred
thousand Africans of every age and sex are forcefully taken away each
year from their villages! Bound and beaten, they are transported to a
foreign land, put on display, and sold like cattle. These eyewitness
reports have been confirmed by recent explorers to equatorial Africa,
arousing Our desire to help those wretched men and to alleviate their
lamentable condition. For this reason We have immediately delegated the
task of going to the principal countries of Europe to Our beloved son
Charles Martial Cardinal Lavigerie, whose swiftness and apostolic zeal
are well known. He is to show how shameful this base dealing is and to
incline the leaders and citizens to assist this miserable race.
Therefore, We should feel grateful to Christ our Lord, the most loving
Redeemer of all nations. He in His goodness did not allow Our efforts
to go unrewarded. Rather, He planted them in fertile soil, like a seed
which promises a joyful harvest. Secular leaders and Catholics from the
whole world, everybody who deems holy the natural rights of people,
struggle to discover the rationale and means to eradicate this inhuman
commerce. There was a meeting not long ago in Brussels for the
representatives of European leaders, and more recently a group of
private citizens met in Paris for the same purpose. They clearly showed
how much force and persistence they would use to defend the Negro
cause, how many difficulties oppress these slaves. Therefore, with the
occasion once again given, We praise and thank the leaders of Europe
for their efforts in this matter. We strenuously pray that almighty God
might give a happy outcome to the deliberations they have begun.
African Missions
3. Besides protecting freedom, another more serious apostolic concern
orders Us to spread the teaching of the Gospel in Africa. This teaching
should bathe those inhabitants living in darkness and blind
superstition with the light of divine truth, by which they can become
co-heirs with Us of the kingdom of God. We are the more concerned about
this because those who have received this light have also shaken off
the yoke of human slavery. Wherever Christian customs and laws are in
force, wherever religion establishes that men serve justice and honor
human dignity, wherever the spirit of brotherly love taught by Christ
spreads itself, there neither slavery nor savage barbarism can exist.
Rather, mildness of character and civilized Christian liberty flourish
there. Many apostolic men, like standard-bearing soldiers of Christ, go
to the African interior to shed their sweat, even life itself for the
welfare of their brothers. But "the harvest indeed is great; the
laborers are few." Therefore, many others are needed where that
scandalous commerce is conducted. They must be full of the spirit of
God, fearing neither danger, nor inconveniences, nor labors to spread
the teaching of Christ, which is joined to true freedom. This might
enlighten even that wretched part of the human race with the revelation
of His divinity and release it from the mire of superstition and misery
in which it has lain abandoned and neglected for so long.
4. The money collected in the churches and chapels under your
jurisdiction should be sent to Rome, to the Sacred Council for the
Propagation of the Faith. It will divide the money among the missions
which now exist or will be established primarily to eliminate slavery
in Africa. The money coming from those countries which have their own
Catholic missions to free the slaves, as We mentioned, will be given to
sustain and help those missions. The Sacred Council will divide the
rest of the money among those missions which show the greatest need,
according to its discretion. We are confident that God who is rich in
mercies will graciously receive Our prayers for the unfortunate
Africans. You, venerable brother, should strive to complete this
matter. Timely and special assistance should be given by the faithful
to abolish the blemish of human commerce and to support the messengers
of the Gospel in those places where slavery exists. We trust that
nothing will diminish the generosity with which the faithful
customarily support Catholic missions, once the money is transferred to
the Institute "For the Propagation of the Faith." Call to Common Action
5. This salutary work which We have long since commended to the zeal of
the faithful demands many others of similar scope. A great outlay is
required to provide for the education of missionaries, long journeys,
constructing buildings, erecting churches, and teaching, as well as for
other similar necessities. These expenses must be borne for some years,
until the heralds of the gospel can establish themselves and take
responsibility for their own financial affairs. We hope that We have
enough strength to undertake such a project. When serious difficulties
obstruct Us, We turn to you, venerable brother, and the other bishops,
as well as all Catholics. We commend such a holy and salutary work to
your love and to theirs. We desire that everybody participates; even if
the collection is small, the burden spread among many people will make
it lighter for all. Thus, the grace of Christ - for this concerns the
spreading of His kingdom - might reach everybody and give everybody a
share in peace, forgiveness of sins, and special gifts.
6. Therefore, We decree that every year, wherever the Epiphany of the
Lord is celebrated, on that day a collection should be taken up to help
in the project We have just outlined. We have chosen this day in
preference to others because, as you well know, that is the day the Son
of God first revealed Himself to the nations, when He showed Himself to
the Magi. They were called "the first fruits of our vocation and faith"
by Our predecessor St. Leo the Great. Thus, We depend on the good hope
to come that Christ the Lord will be moved by the love and prayers of
the faithful, who have received the light of truth. In a new testimony
of praise, We pray that He extend His bounty far and wide and that it
flourish in happy prosperity. Meanwhile, We lovingly impart Our
apostolic blessing on you, venerable brother, on the clergy, and on the
faithful entrusted to your pastoral vigilance.
Given in Rome, at St. Peter's, on November 20, 1890, in the thirteenth
year of Our pontificate.
LEO XIII
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