Pope Alexander VI - The
Bull Inter Caetera - 4 May 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,
enjoy strictly, that inasmuch as with eager zeal for the true faith
you design to equip and dispatch 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 there from,
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 benefit of our apostolic favor, we, of our own accord, not at
your instance nor the request of anyone else in your regard, but out
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 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 taking
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 therefore, 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 Saint 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.
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