Through this period, the Church made no protest against the institution of slavery. Thomas Aquinas (1225- 1274AD), one of the principal saints of Catholic Church, said that slavery was one effect of Adam’s sin. He also believed that slavery was morally justifiable and economic necessity. The Church itself employed multitudes of slaves as well as serfs on its manors. Like feudal aristocracy, the Church was a landlord behaving the same way as the aristocrats, employing a slave/ serf system of production.
The Popes:
For many centuries, the popes and bishops, churches and monasteries owned slaves. Pope Gregory I (590- 604AD) used hundreds of slaves on the Papal estates and approved laws preventing slaves from becoming clerics or marrying free Christians. French kings gave vast numbers of slaves to the Church. Charlemagne (742- 814AD) allowed each priest two slaves (man/ woman). Bishops were forbidden to free slaves owned by the Church unless they repaid the value out of their own pockets. In some places, the Church estimated its wealth by the numbers of slaves they owned and not by how much money it had.
The evidence showed that the Church slaves were not treated any better than the secular slaves. In Canon law (Church law), slaves were considered as chattel or property. He could not make a will and any wealth built up by the slave belonged to the Church upon his death. The only time did the Church oppose slavery was when Christians were enslaved by Muslims (called Infidels by the Church). When the Church enslaves Muslims, it was acceptable. There was no objection. Also, when members of the Greek Christian Church (the Byzantines) were taken as slaves, this was acceptable.
Sometimes, the Church encouraged some Christians to free their slaves by treating it as and act of charity that merited heavenly reward, but the Church never crusaded for abolition of slavery.
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