The Bull Inter Caetera (Alexander VI), May 4, 1493.
Background
Columbus' discovery in 1492 of supposedly Asiatic lands in the western seas threatened
the unstable relations between the kingdoms of Portugal and Castile, which had
been jockeying for position and possession of colonial territories along the African
coast for many years. The king of Portugal asserted that the discovery was within
the bounds set forth in Papal bulls (decrees) of 1455, 1456, and 1479. The king
and queen of Castile disputed this and sought a new Papal Bull on the subject.
Pope Alexander VI, a native of Valencia and a friend of the Castilian king, responded
with three bulls, dated May 3 and 4, which were highly favorable to Castile. The
third of these bulls, the bull Inter caetera, is reproduced below, in an English
translation published in European Treaties bearing on the History of the United
States and its Dependencies to 1648, Frances Gardiner Davenport, editor, Carnegie
Institution of Washington, 1917, Washington, D.C., at pp. 75-78. The original
text in Latin is in the same volume, at pp. 72-75.
Though later bulls were issued on the subject of Portugese and Spanish colonial
rivalry, the bull Inter caetera became a major document in the development of
subsequent legal doctrines regarding claims of empire in the "new world."
The bull assigned to Castile the exclusive right to acquire territory, to trade
in, or even to approach the lands lying west of the meridian situated one hundred
leagues west of the Azores and Cape Verde Islands. An exception was made, however,
for any lands actually possessed by any other Christian prince beyond this meridian
prior to Christmas, 1492.
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.