La Chiesa, la schiavitù e la tratta dei neri

Between the XVI and XIX century over 10 million Africans were forcefully deported to the New World and enslaved by Christians, heedless of the fact that such activities were incongruous with the fundamental values of the Gospel: love thy neighbor and equality amongst men. When it comes to catholic countries, it is interesting to look at the stance adopted by the roman Church when confronted with a phenomenon that, on the one hand raised sensitive ethical, social and religious questions, but also touched upon the economic interests of colonial powers. In the old and New Testament one can find the commandment of Love, which is at odds with slavery, as well as the canons of Law, which explicitly admit and legitimize it. The contradictory nature of these principles has led to an inevitable ambiguity in the responses of the Church, both in practice and in terms of the doctrine. despite trying to mitigate the phenomenon, the Church has historically – since the Apostolic Age – looked at slavery with approving and legitimizing eyes. The sole exception to the rule took place in the Modern era with the Native Americans. The holy See’s first general condemnation was not until 1839 when Gregory XVI wrote the apostolic letter In supremo. The pontiff’s words explicitly condemning the slave trade and the enslavement of black communities, will break, for the first time, the papacy’s long silence regarding the tragic fate of so many people of African origin. Most recently, Pope Wojtyla’s requests for a pardon and Pope Francis’s under-signing of interreligious initiatives against modern slavery mark the Catholic Church’s definite breakaway from a mindset that they held on to for almost two millennia.