The Pope Once Granted The Entire Continent of South America To Spain

A bold and wild claim that was awkward for the rest of the world

The Cantino Planisphere, 1502 (Public domain)

In 1493, Pope Alexander VI made a sweeping declaration in the form of a papal bull. The new declaration declared that the Spanish monarchy was entitled to all lands and islands, discovered and yet to be discovered, south and west of an invisible line that ran pole to pole off the coast of the Cape Verde Islands. In effect, the declaration gave Spain a right backed by the church to all of the lands in South America.

The papal bull, known as the inter caetera, was the result of years of bribery, support, and deals between the Castillian monarchs and the church in Rome. The Spanish hoped to get the church to block Portuguese interests in the same regions that were being explored.

The declaration was met with skepticism from loyal Catholics and was scoffed by those who were not so heavily tied to the Roman Catholic church.

Powerful words

A map showing the lines beyond which Spain was granted vast lands (Public domain)

This was not the first, nor the last, land claim declaration that would make use of lines that run the entire length of the planet but it was by far the most expansive of the era. The region encompassed by the papal decree covered nearly the entire continent of South America as well as significant portions of the west coast of North America and the entire southern half of the Pacific Ocean.

The papal bull read in part:

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. …[W]e … assign to you and your heirs and successors, kings of Castile and Leon, … 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 north, …to …the south, … the said line to be distant…