Dum Diversas, 1452

The Catholic Church and Slavery
Reason & Theology | 9 July 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxtYdmNO8X4

Wiki:

Dum Diversas (English: While different) is a papal bull issued on 18 June 1452 by Pope Nicholas V. It authorized King Afonso V of Portugal to fight, subjugate, and conquer "those rising against the Catholic faith and struggling to extinguish Christian Religion"—namely, the "Saracens (Muslims) and pagans" in a militarily disputed African territory. The document consigned warring enemies that lost to "perpetual servitude".

I glanced at the bull from an 1868 Bullarium for bulls directed to Portugal.

It seems the "in perpetuam servitudinem" phrase occurs about the magistrates and military of the kingdoms and duchies involved. I would say, unless I misread, Portugal went beyond that and illicltly encouraged slave trade. So to speak applying to civilians or citizens what should only apply to their magistrates.

Also, it is not clear that "perpetuam" would mean "hereditary" rather than "lifelong" ...

If Ted Bundy hadn't got electric chair, he would also have got perpetual servitude, as do some teens that have killed in the US.

Doctrinally, it means that perpetual servitude is permissible, for certain types of offenders.

If it weren't, Trump would have to close lots of facilities and redirect prisoners of more than 20—30 years to either electric chair or pardon.

The context clearly says kings, princes, dukes etc and kingdoms, principalities, duchies, etc. It would be a modern misreading to apply this to the whole population, it applies to the ruling class and those fighting for them.

I don't see the conclusion for Sicut dudum really differs. In Sicut dudum, they were clearly speaking of the population and especially Christian converts.

Or from Intra Arcana and Pastorale officium (forbidding the enslavement of Indians, this referring in 1537 clearly to civilian ones already subjected to Spain).

The prudential judgement implies a doctrinal proposition, namely that perpetual servitude is sometimes OK as a punishment.

The scope of Dum Diversas are the guys Portugal is fighting against, rulers and armies of certain Saracen kingdoms.

I don't see it as over the top that those in a particular occasion had deserved to go to lifelong prison all of them, and the doctrinal proposition simply means offenders can be punished with, among other things, perpetual servitude.

It also means, states can be criminal.