The Bull Inter Caetera of 1493
The Bull Romanus Pontificus of 1455 had given legal sanction to colonialism in the name of the church, and further gave sanction to the dispossession of all "pagans whatsoever" of all movable and immovable goods and perpetual slavery of them. But that Bull had favored the Portugese. Now it was time for the Pope Alexander VI to favor the Spanish, drawing an imaginary line through the Atlantic Ocean and presenting as a gift to Spain all that it discovered in the West after Christmas of 1492, while gifting Portugal with whatever it discovered in Africa.
The Bull of 1455 having already sanctioned enslaving all "pagans" and taking everything and their land from them, Alexander VI enjoins Christopher Columbus to go out and find more islands and explore the mainland in the interest in finding more Indians to bring to Christ. He is to do so with eager zeal. And Spain, as said, owns it all.
English Translation of the Bull Inter Caetera of 1493
Alexander, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to the illustrious
sovereigns, our very dear son in Christ, Ferdinand, king, and our very dear
daughter in Christ, Isabella, queen of Castile, Leon, Aragon, Sicily, and
Granada, health and apostolic benediction. Among other works well pleasing to
the Divine Majesty and cherished of our heart, this assuredly ranks highest,
that in our times especially the Catholic faith and the Christian religion be
exalted and be everywhere increased and spread, that the health of souls be
cared for and that barbarous nations be overthrown and brought to the faith
itself. Wherefore inasmuch as by the favor of divine clemency, we, though of
insufficient merits, have been called to this Holy See of Peter, recognizing
that as true Catholic kings and princes, such as we have known you always to be,
and as your illustrious deeds already known to almost the whole world declare,
you not only eagerly desire but with every effort, zeal, and diligence, without
regard to hardships, expenses, dangers, with the shedding even of your blood,
are laboring to that end; recognizing also that you have long since dedicated to
this purpose your whole soul and all your endeavors -- as witnessed in these
times with so much glory to the Divine Name in your recovery of the kingdom of
Granada from the yoke of the Saracens -- we therefore are rightly led, and hold
it as our duty, to grant you even of our own accord and in your favor those
things whereby with effort each day more hearty you may be enabled for the honor
of God himself and the spread of the Christian rule to carry forward your holy
and praiseworthy purpose so pleasing to immortal God. We have indeed learned
that you, who for a long time had intended to seek out and discover certain
islands and mainlands remote and unknown and not hitherto discovered by others,
to the end that you might bring to the worship of our Redeemer and the
profession of the Catholic faith their residents and inhabitants, having been up
to the present time greatly engaged in the siege and recovery of the kingdom
itself of Granada were unable to accomplish this holy and praiseworthy purpose;
but the said kingdom having at length been regained, as was pleasing to the
Lord, you, with the wish to fulfill your desire, chose our beloved son,
Christopher Columbus, a man assuredly worthy and of the highest recommendations
and fitted for so great an undertaking, whom you furnished with ships and men
equipped for like designs, not without the greatest hardships, dangers, and
expenses, to make diligent quest for these remote and unknown mainlands and
islands through the sea, where hitherto no one had sailed; and they at length,
with divine aid and with the utmost diligence sailing in the ocean sea,
discovered certain very remote islands and even mainlands that hitherto had not
been discovered by others; wherein dwell very many peoples living in peace, and,
as reported, going unclothed, and not eating flesh. Moreover, as your aforesaid
envoys are of opinion, these very peoples living in the said islands and
countries believe in one God, the Creator in heaven, and seem sufficiently
disposed to embrace the Catholic faith and be trained in good morals. And it is
hoped that, were they instructed, the name of the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ,
would easily be introduced into the said countries and islands. Also, on one of
the chief of these aforesaid islands the said Christopher has already caused to
be put together and built a fortress fairly equipped, wherein he has stationed
as garrison certain Christians, companions of his, who are to make search for
other remote and unknown islands and mainlands. In the islands and countries
already discovered are found gold, spices, and very many other precious things
of divers kinds and qualities. Wherefore, as becomes Catholic kings and princes,
after earnest consideration of all matters, especially of the rise and spread of
the Catholic faith, as was the fashion of your ancestors, kings of renowned
memory, you have purposed with the favor of divine clemency to bring under your
sway the said mainlands and islands with their residents and inhabitants and to
bring them to the Catholic faith. Hence, heartily commending in the Lord this
your holy and praiseworthy purpose, and desirous that it be duly accomplished,
and that the name of our Savior be carried into those regions, we exhort you
very earnestly in the Lord and by your reception of holy baptism, whereby you
are bound to our apostolic commands, and by the bowels of the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ, enjoin strictly, that inasmuch as with eager zeal for the true
faith you design to equip and despatch this expedition, you purpose also, as is
your duty, to lead the peoples dwelling in those islands and countries to
embrace the Christian religion; nor at any time let dangers or hardships deter
you therefrom, with the stout hope and trust in your hearts that Almighty God
will further your undertakings. And, in order that you may enter upon so great
an undertaking with greater readiness and heartiness endowed with the benefit of
our apostolic favor, we, of our own accord, not at your instance nor the request
of anyone else in your regard, but of our own sole largess and certain knowledge
and out of the fullness of our apostolic power, by the authority of Almighty God
conferred upon us in blessed Peter and of the vicarship of Jesus Christ, which
we hold on earth, do by tenor of these presents, should any of said islands have
been found by your envoys and captains, give, grant, and assign to you and your
heirs and successors, kings of Castile and Leon, forever, together with all
their dominions, cities, camps, places, and villages, and all rights,
jurisdictions, and appurtenances, all islands and mainlands found and to be
found, discovered and to be discovered towards the west and south, by drawing
and establishing a line from the Arctic pole, namely the north, to the Antarctic
pole, namely the south, no matter whether the said mainlands and islands are
found and to be found in the direction of India or towards any other quarter,
the said line to be distant one hundred leagues towards the west and south from
any of the islands commonly known as the Azores and Cape Verde. With this
proviso however that none of the islands and mainlands, found and to be found,
discovered and to be discovered, beyond that said line towards the west and
south, be in the actual possession of any Christian king or prince up to the
birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ just past from which the present year one
thousand four hundred and ninety-three begins. And we make, appoint, and depute
you and your said heirs and successors lords of them with full and free power,
authority, and jurisdiction of every kind; with this proviso however, that by
this our gift, grant, and assignment no right acquired by any Christian prince,
who may be in actual possession of said islands and mainlands prior to the said
birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ, is hereby to be understood to be withdrawn or
taken away. Moreover we command you in virtue of holy obedience that, employing
all due diligence in the premises, as you also promise -- nor do we doubt your
compliance therein in accordance with your loyalty and royal greatness of spirit
-- you should appoint to the aforesaid mainlands and islands worthy,
God-fearing, learned, skilled, and experienced men, in order to instruct the
aforesaid inhabitants and residents in the Catholic faith and train them in good
morals. Furthermore, under penalty of excommunication late sententie to
be incurred ipso facto, should anyone thus contravene, we strictly
forbid all persons of whatsoever rank, even imperial and royal, or of whatsoever
estate, degree, order, or condition, to dare, without your special permit or
that of your aforesaid heirs and successors, to go for the purpose of trade or
any other reason to the islands or mainlands, found and to be found, discovered
and to be discovered, towards the west and south, by drawing and establishing a
line from the Arctic pole to the Antarctic pole, no matter whether the mainlands
and islands, found and to be found, lie in the direction of India or toward any
other quarter whatsoever, the said line to be distant one hundred leagues
towards the west and south, as is aforesaid, from any of the islands commonly
known as the Azores and Cape Verde; apostolic constitutions and ordinances and
other decrees whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding. We trust in Him from
whom empires and governments and all good things proceed, that, should you, with
the Lord's guidance, pursue this holy and praiseworthy undertaking, in a short
while your hardships and endeavors will attain the most felicitous result, to
the happiness and glory of all Christendom. But inasmuch as it would be
difficult to have these present letters sent to all places where desirable, we
wish, and with similar accord and knowledge do decree, that to copies of them,
signed by the hand of a public notary commissioned therefor, and sealed with the
seal of any ecclesiastical officer or ecclesiastical court, the same respect is
to be shown in court and outside as well as anywhere else as would be given to
these presents should they thus be exhibited or shown. Let no one, therefore,
infringe, or with rash boldness contravene, this our recommendation,
exhortation, requisition, gift, grant, assignment, constitution, deputation,
decree, mandate, prohibition, and will. Should anyone presume to attempt this,
be it known to him that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the
blessed apostles Peter and Paul. Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, in the year of
the incarnation of our Lord one thousand four hundred and ninety-three, the
fourth of May, and the first year of our pontificate.
Gratis by order of our most holy lord, the pope. June. For the referendary, For J. Bufolinus,
A. de Mucciarellis. A. Santoseverino.
L. Podocatharus.
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