Ethan Walker
The Catholic Church and slavery share a long and complex history. While the Church taught that all men are God's children and that masters must treat their slaves with kindness and justice, it also profited from slavery and participated in the slave trade. The growth of the Catholic Church in nineteenth-century America was largely due to German immigrants, who were staunch abolitionists. However, the Church's expansion was financed by the purchase and sale of enslaved people, and enslaved people were used to construct Catholic cathedrals and other significant buildings in the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholic Church's view on slavery | The Church taught that all men are God's children, and that masters must be kind and just to their slaves. |
| The Church mandated slaves to be baptized, given the sacraments, and allowed to attend mass. | |
| Slaveholders were required to give slaves a day of rest. | |
| Catholic Church's involvement in slavery | The Catholic Church financed its expansion and institutions with profits made from the purchase and sale of enslaved people. |
| In 1838, the Jesuits sold 272 enslaved people to save what is now Georgetown University from bankruptcy. | |
| In Kentucky, enslaved people built St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral and labored at the neighboring St. Joseph's College. | |
| In 1843, Clement and his wife Louisa refused to be sold to a Catholic slaveholder in Louisiana. | |
| German-American Catholics were the largest ethnic group in the Union Army, contributing almost half a million soldiers to the abolitionist cause. | |
| Catholic cathedrals built by slaves | Trinity Church in New York was built by rented slaves, who helped construct the first version of the church, completed in 1698. |
| Slaves helped build the White House, with at least five slaves involved in its construction. |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic Church's involvement in the slave trade
The Catholic Church and slavery share a long and complicated history. While the Church has been involved in the slave trade, it is important to note that the Church's stance on slavery has evolved over time and that there have been conflicting teachings and interpretations within the Church.
In ancient Rome, slavery was practiced and accepted by many cultures and religions, including the Catholic Church. With the legalization of Christianity under the Roman Empire, sentiments emerged within the Church rejecting certain forms of slavery as incompatible with Christian justice. However, the Church's position on slavery was not uniform, and it continued to be practiced and accepted by various members of the clergy.
During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church established itself in southern regions, relying on plantations and slave labor to finance the livelihoods of its priests and nuns and support its schools and religious projects. The Church mandated that slaves be baptized, receive the sacraments, and attend Mass. While the Church required slaveholders to provide their slaves with a day of rest and allowed slaves to marry, it did not actively work to end slavery.
In 1838, Jesuit priests sold 272 enslaved people to save what is now Georgetown University from bankruptcy. This incident, revealed by journalist Rachel Swarns, brought to light the Church's involvement in the slave trade and the profound impact of slavery on the Church's expansion and institutions.
In the latter part of the 19th century, the Catholic Church began to distance itself from slavery. In 1866, Pope Pius IX stated that it was not against divine law for a slave to be sold, bought, or exchanged, with conditions. Later, in 1888, Pope Leo XIII condemned the cruelties of the slave trade and expressed support for abolition in Brazil. Pope John Paul II reiterated the Church's condemnation of slavery in the 20th century.
While the Catholic Church has been criticized for its historical involvement in the slave trade, it is important to recognize that the Church's teachings and actions have evolved, and modern-day religious institutions are taking the lead in reparations movements.
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The use of slave labour in the construction of Catholic cathedrals
The Catholic Church and slavery have a long and complicated history. The Church's view on slavery in Latin America mirrored that of the European trade, and while slaves were mandated to be baptised and given the sacraments, they were also traded and sold. Priests, nuns, and brotherhoods all controlled many slaves, and the Church profited from the purchase and sale of enslaved people. For example, in 1838, the Jesuits sold 272 enslaved people to save what is now Georgetown University from bankruptcy. This was not an isolated incident, and the Church financed its expansion and institutions with profits made from slavery.
In the context of cathedral construction, there is evidence that enslaved people were used as labour. In the diocese of Bardstown, Kentucky, enslaved people built St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral. Similarly, in Virginia, slaves built Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home, quarrying limestone, making bricks, and constructing the house's frame. In New York, slaves were rented to help construct the first version of Trinity Church, which was completed in 1698.
The use of slave labour in these contexts reflects a broader acceptance of slavery during this period. After Christianity was legalised under the Roman Empire, sentiment grew that certain forms of slavery were incompatible with Christian justice. However, this did not lead to the abolition of slavery within the Church. While the Church taught that slaves were children of God and should be treated with kindness, it did not have the power to abolish slavery everywhere.
The legacy of Catholic slaveholding is complex, and it has had lasting impacts on communities and churches. Enslaved people have often been left out of the traditional origin stories of the Catholic Church, and the full extent of the Church's involvement in slavery is only recently coming to light.
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The Church's teachings on slavery and their impact
The Catholic Church and slavery have had a long and complicated relationship. While the Church has officially condemned slavery and fought to protect people from it, it has also profited from and participated in the slave trade.
The Church's official teachings on slavery have evolved over centuries. Early Christians like Gregory of Nyssa and John Chrysostom strongly denounced slavery, and some liberated their slaves. The Church taught that all people are God's children and that masters must treat their slaves with kindness and justice. This belief in the fundamental equality of all people implied that slavery was incompatible with Christian doctrine.
In the Middle Ages, the Church took steps to protect slaves, such as requiring slaveholders to give slaves a day of rest and allowing slaves to be baptised, receive the sacraments, and attend mass. However, the Church also mandated marriage for slaves in Latin America, and priests, nuns, and brotherhoods often owned slaves themselves.
During the Age of Discovery, the Church tolerated just titles to servitude, which allowed for the buying, selling, and exchange of human beings. This was justified by the teaching that slavery was a consequence of original sin and that some people were slaves "by nature."
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Christian groups were at the forefront of the abolition movement, pushing for an end to slavery as an institution. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, published in 1994, set out the official position: "The Seventh Commandment forbids acts or enterprises that... lead to the enslavement of human beings, to their being bought, sold and exchanged like merchandise, in disregard for their personal dignity."
Despite these teachings, the Catholic Church has also profited from and participated in the slave trade. In the 19th century, Jesuit priests in Maryland, some of the largest slaveholders in the state, sold 272 enslaved people to save what is now Georgetown University from bankruptcy. The Catholic Church in the United States financed its expansion and institutions with profits made from the purchase and sale of enslaved people.
Today, the Vatican has committed to slavery-proofing its procurement practices and supply lines, and Pope Francis has emphasised the moral dimensions of buying goods. The Church continues to fight against modern forms of slavery, such as human trafficking and child labour.
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The role of Catholic priests and nuns in slavery
The Catholic Church and slavery share a long and complicated history. The Church's teachings on slavery are complex and have evolved over time. While the Church never officially endorsed slavery, it also did not overtly condemn the practice until much later. Instead, it mandated that slaves be baptised, given the sacraments, and allowed to attend mass and rest on Sundays. The Church also required slaveholders to allow their slaves to marry and prohibited the forced separation of married couples.
Priests and nuns played a significant role in the history of slavery within the Catholic Church. While some priests and nuns were vocal critics of slavery and actively worked towards its abolition, others participated in the slave trade and owned slaves themselves. For example, during the Civil War in the United States, Bishop Patrick Neeson Lynch was named by Confederacy President Jefferson Davis as his delegate to the Holy See, demonstrating the Confederacy's attempt to gain diplomatic recognition from the Vatican. However, the Vatican never recognised the Confederacy, and the Pope received Bishop Lynch only in his ecclesiastical capacity. On the other hand, priests like William T. Sherman and Archbishop John Baptist Purcell were outspoken abolitionists. Archbishop Purcell, for instance, wrote in an 1863 editorial:
> When the slave power predominates, religion is nominal. There is no life in it. It is the hard-working laboring man who builds the church, the school house, the orphan asylum, not the slaveholder, as a general rule. Religion flourishes in a slave state only in proportion to its intimacy with a free state, or as it is adjacent to it.
In terms of direct participation in the slave trade, priests, nuns, and brotherhoods all controlled many slaves. For instance, the largest convent in Mexico City was located next to the slave market, and the nuns purchased slaves for personal use and to tend to their convents. Similar practices were observed in Brazil, where child slaves were auctioned off as lottery prizes for Catholic Charity. These actions by members of the Catholic clergy directly contradicted the Church's teachings, which considered slavery sinful and emphasised the equality of all people as God's children.
While the Catholic Church's official stance on slavery may have been one of opposition, the actions of its members, including priests and nuns, often fell short of these ideals. The history of the Catholic Church and its role in slavery is a reminder of the complexities and contradictions that have existed within the institution throughout its existence.
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The legacy of Catholic slaveholding and its impact on communities
The Catholic Church and slavery share a long and complex history. The Church's involvement in the African slave trade in Latin America mirrored that of the European trade, with the Church failing to view them as morally equal. While the Church mandated slaves to be baptised and allowed them to attend mass, slaveholders were required to give slaves a day of rest. In Latin America, the Church made marriage a requirement and couples could not be forcibly separated. Priests, nuns, and brotherhoods all controlled slaves, with nuns purchasing slaves for personal use and to tend to their convents.
The growth of the Catholic Church in nineteenth-century America was largely among German immigrants, who were staunch abolitionists. Despite this, the Church financed its expansion and institutions with profits made from the purchase and sale of enslaved people. For instance, in 1838, the Jesuits sold 272 enslaved people to save what is now Georgetown University from bankruptcy. The patterns of sale and exchange shattered families and splintered communities, with descendants scattered across the United States.
The diocese of Bardstown, Kentucky, exemplifies the trend of Catholic slaveholding, with its bishops being among the largest slaveholders in the region. Enslaved people built and worked at various Catholic institutions, including St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral and St. Joseph's College. The legacy of Catholic slaveholding has led to the splintering of communities and the denial of full ecclesial inclusion for Black Catholics.
The Catholic Church's involvement in slavery extended beyond the buying and selling of enslaved people. The Church also profited from industries tied to the West Indian plantations and benefited economically from the slave trade. The Church's complicity in slavery has been left out of its traditionally told origin story, with enslaved people largely absent from discussions at Mass or in Sunday school. This chapter of the Church's history has only recently come to light, revealing the deep connections between contemporary institutions and slavery.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, enslaved people helped build St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Kentucky's "Catholic Holy Land".
The Catholic Church has had a complicated relationship with slavery. While the Church taught that slaves were people who could be baptised, receive the sacraments, and attend mass, it did not abolish slavery. The Church profited from slavery and participated in the slave trade.
The Catholic Church never officially condemned slavery. The Catechism teaches that "The Seventh Commandment forbids acts or enterprises that… lead to the enslavement of human beings, to their being bought, sold and exchanged like merchandise, in disregard for their personal dignity". However, this did not prevent Catholic institutions from benefiting directly or indirectly from slavery.
Yes, the Catholic Church owned slaves and benefited economically from their labour and sale. For example, in 1838, the Jesuits sold 272 enslaved people to save what is now Georgetown University from bankruptcy.
While there is no evidence of the Catholic Church officially freeing slaves, some individual Catholics granted liberty to their slaves after converting to Christianity.
