Bull <i>Altitudo divini consilii</i>, issued by Pope Paul III in 1537. The bull discusses evangelization and conversion, including the proper way to apply the sacraments, in particular baptism. This was especially important in the early days of colonial rule, when hundreds and sometimes thousands of indigenous people were baptized every day. One interesting aspect of this bull is its discussion of how to deal with local practices, for example, polygamy. After their conversion, polygamous men had to marry their first wife, but if they could not remember which wife was the first, they then "could choose among the wives the one they preferred."
Paul III, Pope (1468-1549)
1 June 1537<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1537-06-01T00:00:00Z/11</div>
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<ul><li>Gallery: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.wdl.org/en/item/2965/">http://www.wdl.org/en/item/2965/</a></li></ul>