Editing Pope Paul III (section)

===Slavery and ''Sublimis Deus''===
[[File:Aprovação da Companhia de Jesus pelo Papa Paulo III (c. 1640) - Domingos da Cunha, o Cabrinha (Sé Nova, Coimbra).png|thumb|left|210px|Pope Paul III approves the Society of Jesus, {{circa|1640}}, by Domingos da Cunha.]]
In May–June 1537, Paul issued the bull ''[[Sublimis Deus]]'' (also known as ''Unigenitus'' and ''Veritas ipsa''), described by Prein (2008) as the "Magna Carta" for the human rights of the [[indigenous peoples of the Americas]] in its declaration that "the Indians were human beings and they were not to be robbed of their freedom or possessions". The subsequent implementing document ''Pastorale officium'' declared automatic excommunication for anyone who failed to abide by the new ruling.<ref name="ReferenceA">"The Encyclopedia Of Christianity", p. 212</ref>

However, it met with strong opposition from the Council of the West Indies and the Crown, which declared that it violated their patronato rights, and the pope annulled the orders the following year with the document ''Non Indecens Videtur''.<ref>Stogre, p. 115, fn. 133</ref> Stogre (1992) notes that ''Sublimis Deus'' is not present in [[Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum|Denzinger]], the authoritative compendium of official Catholic teachings, and Davis (1988) asserts it was annulled due to a dispute with the Spanish crown.<ref>Davis, p. 170, fn. 9</ref> However, the original bull continued to circulate and be quoted by [[Bartolomé de las Casas|las Casas]] and others who supported Indian rights.<ref>Lampe, p. 17</ref>

According to Falkowski (2002) ''Sublimis Deus'' had the effect of revoking the bull of Alexander VI, ''[[Inter caetera]]'', but still leaving the colonizers the duty of converting the native people.<ref>Thornberry 2002, p. 65, fn. 21</ref><ref name="ReferenceA" /> Father [[Gustavo Gutierrez]] describes it as "the most important papal document relating to the condition of native Indians and that it was addressed to all Christians".<ref>Panzer, 2008</ref> Maxwell (1975) notes that the bull did not change the traditional teaching that the enslavement of Indians was permissible if they were considered "enemies of Christendom", as this would be considered by the Church as a "just war". He {{Clarify|date=March 2025}} further argues that the Indian nations had every right to self-defence.<ref>Stogre, pp. 115–116</ref> Stark - 2003 - describes the bull as "magnificent" and believes that it was long forgotten due to the neglect of Protestant historians.<ref>Stark 2003</ref> Falola noted that the bull related to the native populations of the New World and did not condemn the transatlantic slave trade stimulated by the Spanish monarchy and the Holy Roman Emperor.<ref>Falola, p. 107; see also Maxwell, p. 73</ref>

In 1545, Paul repealed an ancient law that allowed slaves to claim their freedom under the emperor's statue on Rome's [[Capitoline Hill]], in view of the number of homeless people and tramps in the city.<ref>Davis, p. 56</ref> The decree included those who had become Christians after their enslavement and those born to Christian slaves. The right of inhabitants of Rome to publicly buy and sell slaves of both sexes was affirmed.<ref>Noonan, p. 79; Stogre, p. 116</ref> Stogre (1992) asserts that the lifting of restrictions was due to a shortage of slaves in Rome.<ref>Stogre, p. 116</ref> In 1548, Paul authorized the purchase and possession of Muslim slaves in the Papal states.<ref>Clarence-Smith</ref>

Also in 1537, Paul issued ''Altitudo divini consilii''. This bull discusses evangelization and conversion, including the real way to apply the sacraments, in particular baptism.{{sfn|Soormally|2018|p=92}} This was especially important in the early days of colonial rule, when hundreds and sometimes thousands of indigenous people were baptized every day.{{sfn|Soormally|2018|p=92}} One interesting aspect of this bull is its discussion of how to deal with local practices, for example, polygamy. After their conversion, polygamous men had to marry their first wife, but if they could not remember which wife was the first, they then "could choose among the wives the one they preferred."{{sfn|Hamann|2020|p=100}}