- What an encyclical is and its purpose.

- Describe the Church’s historical actions on slavery.

- Analyse whether the Church was complicit or prophetic.

Today, we pause to face this truth honestly.
Help us to learn from the past — to recognise both failure and faithfulness.
Guide us to be people who act for freedom and justice in our own time.
May we see You in every person, especially those who are oppressed or forgotten.

Teach us to speak with compassion,
to stand with the vulnerable,
and to walk humbly in the way of Christ.

Amen.

1. Pair up with a partner who is also ready to complete the 'should do' activity.
   Select one encyclical from the list below.
   (Choose one older and one modern document to compare if you would like a challenge.)

2. Locate the References to Slavery.

   • Use the “Find” (Ctrl + F) function to search for words such as slavery, slave, freedom, dignity, or human person.

   • Identify where in the document the topic is addressed (paragraph number or section heading).

3. Record Key Information in a simple table:

Document, Title, & Year, Paragraph or Section Exact Words / Quote (short)

In Your Own Words – What Is the Pope Saying?

Tone / Focus (Condemnation, Reform, Justice, Mercy)

4. Share Findings with another pair.
   Each pair presents a 2-minute summary:

   • When was the encyclical written?

   • What does it say about slavery or freedom?

   • How does the language reflect the time period?

5. Reflection Prompts:

   • How has the Church’s tone changed from the 1500s to today?

   • Which document uses the strongest language about dignity or human rights?

   • How do these messages connect to Pope Francis’s modern focus on human trafficking?

If you do not have another pair to share your findings, comment on this activity post and I will give you feedback.

Help us to continue their work today —
to recognise where healing is needed,
to listen to the voices of those who seek justice,
and to act with kindness and courage in our own time.

May our learning inspire us to build a world where every person is valued,
and where the light of Christ guides us toward peace and unity.

Amen.

Student Guide

Across history, the Catholic Church’s understanding of human dignity has developed from speaking against slavery to actively working to end modern forms of exploitation.
Early Church documents, such as Sublimis Deus (1537) and In Supremo Apostolatus (1839), condemned the slave trade and affirmed that every person—no matter their race or background—has a God-given right to freedom.
Later, Catholicae Ecclesiae (1890) by Pope Leo XIII praised missionary efforts to free enslaved people and called slavery “a grave violation of divine law.”

Modern Catholic Social Teaching expands this message into global contexts.
Pope Francis has described human trafficking and forced labour as “a crime against humanity” and “an open wound on the body of Christ.”
Through encyclicals like Fratelli Tutti (2020) and initiatives such as the Santa Marta Group, he urges Catholics to respond not only with prayer but with practical action—protecting victims, reforming unjust systems, and challenging the economic greed that fuels modern slavery.
Where earlier Popes focused on moral condemnation, Francis calls for collaboration between governments, faiths, and communities to end exploitation entirely.

These teachings connect directly to contemporary issues.
Modern slavery still occurs through supply chains, forced migration, child labour, and online exploitation.
In Australia, the Modern Slavery Act 2018 requires large companies to report how they prevent forced labour in the products they sell—an example of faith values influencing law and ethics.
Catholic organisations such as Caritas and St Vincent de Paul also continue this mission by supporting survivors and raising awareness.

Ultimately, the Church’s journey from opposing slavery to confronting modern trafficking reveals a living tradition—one that continues to defend human dignity and calls every believer to act for justice, mercy, and freedom in today’s world.

Activity Instructions

Produce a one-page written summary (typed or handwritten) that includes:

1. A brief explanation of modern CST on trafficking and forced labour.

2. A comparison paragraph between Pope Francis’s views and historical Church teaching.

3. A final paragraph linking Church teaching to a contemporary issue or action in Australia or globally.

4. Hand in to Ms McKinnirey upon her return to school.

1) Students work in pairs to create a timeline in your RE books showing key moments in Church history regarding slavery, from early Christian acceptance to papal condemnations.

2) Timeline Heading: History of Slavery and the catholic Church. Make sure to add todays date at the beginning of your work.

3) Include: 4th century acceptance, medieval justifications, 15th century papal bulls, 19th century abolition support.

NOTE: This activity should take approximately 30 minutes. If you do not finish in this time frame it is expected you will complete for homework. Homework will be checked next lesson.

Use the following resources:

Watch: https://youtu.be/i8nvdtpO5uo

Read:

1) https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/the-church-and-slavery/97947?utm_source=chatgpt.com

  1. Make a list of some of the basic rights and freedoms that were denied to slaves.   

2. What horrifies or shocks you? 

3. How was the Bible misused by the slave masters to justify their actions? 

4. How did the slaves respond to Christianity?  Why might this have been unexpected? 

5. The Biblical idea that every person is made in ‘the image of God’ means that every person has inherent equality and dignity: 

   
   

   a) How did this idea inspire the slaves in America? 

 b) What evidence is there that slave owners ignored this idea? 

1) Listen to the following podcast.

2) Comment on this activity stream: Explain to me your own personal explanation of what a Papal Encyclical is and why you think it is important in our modern lives.

1. Basic rights and freedoms denied to slaves
Slaves in America were stripped of almost every basic right we take for granted. They couldn’t own property, go to school, or even marry legally. Families were torn apart when husbands, wives, or children were sold away from each other, often never to be reunited. They had no freedom to move, no voice in society, and no legal protection. At the heart of it all, their humanity was denied, they were treated as objects to be bought and sold rather than as people.

2. What horrifies or shocks me
What shocks me most is the sheer cruelty and dehumanization that became “normal” in that system. The idea that people could be beaten, sold, and worked to exhaustion without anyone recognizing their humanity is horrifying. It’s also disturbing that this was justified by people who claimed to be Christians, showing how easily injustice can be excused when it benefits those in power.

3. How slave masters misused the Bible
Slave masters twisted the Bible to defend what they were doing. They pulled out verses about servants obeying their masters while ignoring the bigger message of love, justice, and equality that runs through Scripture. By doing this, they created a false religious cover for their cruelty. It’s chilling to see how sacred texts were manipulated to silence criticism and keep people in chains.

4. How slaves responded to Christianity
Even though Christianity was used against them, many slaves found hope in it. They connected deeply with stories like the Exodus, where God freed His people from oppression, and with Jesus’ teachings about dignity and freedom. This was surprising because you might expect them to reject the faith of their oppressors. Instead, they reshaped it into a source of strength, resilience, and hope for justice, turning it into a faith of liberation rather than submission.

5a. How the idea of being made in the image of God inspired slaves
The belief that every person is made in God’s image gave slaves a powerful sense of worth. Even when society told them they were less than human, this truth reminded them that they were equal before God. It gave them courage to resist the lie of inferiority and motivated their hope for freedom and justice.

5b. Evidence that slave owners ignored this idea
Slave owners completely ignored the teaching that all people are made in God’s image. They treated enslaved people as property to be bought and sold, tearing families apart without hesitation. They used violence and fear to maintain control and denied slaves education, freedom, and dignity. Their actions showed a total disregard for the Christian belief in the inherent value of every human life.

• 4th Century – Early Christians accepted slavery as part of Roman society. Church leaders emphasized spiritual equality but did not call for abolition.

• Medieval Period – Slavery was justified as punishment for sin or as a way to convert non-Christians. Religious orders sometimes used enslaved labor, while still teaching that slaves had souls.

• 1452 – Pope Nicholas V issued the papal bull Dum Diversas, granting Christian rulers the right to conquer and enslave non-Christians. This became a foundation for European colonial slavery.

• 15th Century (1537) – Pope Paul III issued Sublimis Deus, declaring that Indigenous peoples had immortal souls and should not be enslaved. However, this teaching was often ignored.

• 17th Century – Catholic religious orders in the Americas, such as the Jesuits and Ursulines, owned and used enslaved people for agricultural and domestic labor. The Church’s stance remained inconsistent, with some clergy defending slavery and others opposing it.

• 1760 – Growing debates about slavery emerged in Europe and the Americas. Some Catholic voices began to question the morality of slavery, though many institutions still relied on it.

• 1838 – The Jesuits in Maryland sold 272 enslaved people to pay off debts for Georgetown University. This highlighted the Church’s direct involvement in slavery even in the 19th century.

• 1839 – Pope Gregory XVI issued In Supremo Apostolatus, condemning the slave trade as “un-Christian.” While this was a strong papal stance, many Catholic slaveholders in the U.S. ignored it, claiming it did not apply to them.

• 19th Century (later) – The Church increasingly supported abolition, aligning itself with the defense of human dignity and freedom. Catholic teaching shifted toward recognizing slavery as incompatible with Christian values.

1. Basic rights or freedoms denied to slaves

   Slaves in America lost all of their basic rights. They were unable to own any properties, get legally married, or have any sort of education which set their future generations up for failure. Family members were constantly sold and they were never to be seen again. They had no freedon to move, and they didn't have any legal protection at all. They ended up all being objectified, and treated like they weren't humans like the rest of us.

2. What horrifies or shocks me

   What shocks me is the objectification that became normal all around America. It is difficult to think that people were beaten, and pushed to their limits for very little in return.

3. How slave masters misused the Bible

   Most slave masters twisted the words of the Bible in order to try and justify the cruel things that they were doing. They showed verses of servants obeying their masters while they neglected that all people are equal to God and they didn't mention anything about love and justice.

4. How slaves responded to Christianity

   Christianity was used against them to try and keep them as slaves, but many slaves had hope in the sotries such as Moses, where he frees people and exodus where God freed His people from oppression. This surprises me because even though Christianity was used as an excuse to be rude to everyone, they saw it for what is really was.

5. How the idea of being made in the image of God inspired slaves

   The belief that everyone was equal under God gave slaves a sense of worth and knowing that they truly belong under God's eyes. Even though everyone told them that they were less than human, the Bible constantly reminded them to resist the lies that are being told to them.

6. Evidence that slave owners ignored this idea

   Slave owners ignored the teaching that all people are equal in God's image. They treated slaves as property to be bought and sold, and tore families apart for their personal gain. The kept them their with violence and fear to try and keep control over them disregarding any Christian belief.

1. basic rights and freedoms that were denied to slaves.

   slaves apart of America were treated extremely harshly when it comes to right and freedoms. they almost never had there own opinion on there own rights and freedom. they weren't able to legally own a property, get secure education and weren't even allowed to have a husband/wife and have a family.

2. what horrified and shocked me?

   during those times would have been absolutely horrific as it was classed as 'normal' to be cruel and do all sorts of bad things to the slaves. its scary to even think that the slaves were beaten and made to work extremely hard in poor conditions until they die.

3. how was the bible misused by the slave masters to justify their actions?

   they changed some parts of the bible to change their actions slightly and they also ignored most stuff that was against it.

4. how slaves respond to Christianity.

   some slaves responded from simply just secretly learning how to read and some read the bible which greatly inspired them and it helped them learn easier.

5. they get inspired because before that they weren't treated with absolutely no respect and after it they were treated better which inspired them because now they realised that people care about them.

6. what evidence is there that slave owners ignores this idea?

   slavery was evidence of the dignity of slaves being ignored

4th Century – Christians first accepted slavery in Roman culture.

Medieval Times – Slavery was started to be used as a punishment for sin or to try and convert people that aren't Christians. Some people used slaves while still saying that everyone is equal.

1452 – Pope Nicholas V issued the papal bull Dum Diversas, which let Christians to enslave non-Christians. This became more common and ended up becoming European colonial slavery later on.

15th Century (1537) – Pope Paul III issued Sublimis Deus, which meant that all Indigenous people had immortal souls and shouldn't be enslaved. Despite this, most people just ignored this.

17th Century – Religious orders in the Americas, such as the Jesuits and they enslaved people for agriculture and domestic labor.

1760 – There were more debates about slavery in the Americas and Europe with some Catholics starting to question it. However, many different institutions still relied on it as a cheap option for workers.

1838 – The Jesuits sold 272 slaves in order to pay of debts. This showed the Church's involvement in slavery in the 19th century.

1839 – Pope Gregory XVI issued In Supremo Apostolatus, saying that the slave trade wasn't Christian. Even with this, many people said that is did not apply to them.

Late 19th Century – The church aligned themselves with defending dignity and freedom. The catholic faith finally shifted towards recognising slavery as not Christian.