If you ever wondered where Catholicism and candles came from in New Orleans Voodoo, the following should enlighten you.
Edict of the King:
On the subject of
the Policy regarding the Islands of French America
March 1685
Recorded at the sovereign Council of Saint Domingue, 6 May 1687.
Louis, by the grace of God, King of France and Navarre: to all those here present and to those to come, GREETINGS. In that we must also care for all people that Divine Providence has put under our tutelage, we have agreed to have the reports of the officers we have sent to our American islands studied in our presence. These reports inform us of their need for our authority and our justice in order to maintain the discipline of the Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith in the islands. Our authority is also required to settle issues dealing with the condition and quality of the slaves in said islands. We desire to settle these issues and inform them that, even though they reside infinitely far from our normal abode, we are always present for them, not only through the reach of our power but also by the promptness of our help toward their needs. For these reasons, and on the advice of our council and of our certain knowledge, absolute power and royal authority, we have declared, ruled, and ordered, and declare, rule, and order, that the following pleases us:
Article I. We desire and we expect
that the Edict of 23 April 1615 of the late King, our most
honored lord and father who remains glorious in our memory, be
executed in our islands. This accomplished, we enjoin all of our
officers to chase from our islands all the Jews who have
established residence there. As with all declared enemies of
Christianity, we command them to be gone within three months of
the day of issuance of the present [order], at the risk of
confiscation of their persons and their goods.
Article II. All slaves that shall be
in our islands shall be baptized and instructed in the Roman,
Catholic, and Apostolic Faith. We enjoin the inhabitants who
shall purchase newly-arrived Negroes to inform the Governor and
Intendant of said islands of this fact within no more that eight
days, or risk being fined an arbitrary amount. They shall give
the necessary orders to have them instructed and baptized within
a suitable amount of time.
Article III. We forbid any religion
other than the Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith from being
practiced in public. We desire that offenders be punished as
rebels disobedient of our orders. We forbid any gathering to
that end, which we declare to be conventicle, illegal, and
seditious, and subject to the same punishment as would be
applicable to the masters who permit it or accept it from their
slaves.
Read the whole Code Noir (Louisiana Black Code) at Crossroads University.
Copyright 2013 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide.
Spiritual Artist Against Spiritual Slavery (SASS)
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