English Translation
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.
Source: http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/indig-inter-caetera.html
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