Saint Peter Claver, a Jesuit missionary born in 1581 in Verdú, Spain, dedicated his life to serving the most marginalized people of his time: African slaves brought to the New World through the brutal transatlantic slave trade. From a prosperous family, Claver earned his first degree in Barcelona and entered the Society of Jesus in 1602. While studying philosophy in Majorca, he was profoundly influenced by Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez, the college doorkeeper, who encouraged him to pursue missionary work in the Americas to save "millions of perishing souls." This calling led Claver to leave Spain forever in 1610, arriving in Cartagena, Colombia—a bustling port city and a central hub for the slave trade where an estimated 10,000 slaves arrived annually after harrowing voyages from West Africa.
Ordained in 1615, Claver built upon the legacy of his predecessor, Jesuit Father Alfonso de Sandoval, who had ministered to slaves for 40 years and declared himself "the slave of the Negroes forever." Claver adopted this title for himself, signing his final vows as "Peter Claver, slave of the slaves, forever." He famously proclaimed, "Petrus Claver, Æthiopum semper servu," translating to "Peter Claver, forever a servant of the Africans" or "slave of the slaves." This self-identification reflected his deep commitment to embodying Christ's love through action.
The slave trade, established in the Americas for nearly a century by Claver's arrival, subjected captives to inhuman conditions, with one-third often dying in transit. Despite papal condemnations, it persisted. Pope Paul III, in his 1537 bull Sublimis Deus, declared that "Indians and all other people who may later be discovered by Christians, are by no means to be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, even though they be outside the faith of Jesus Christ; and that they may and should, freely and legitimately, enjoy their liberty and the possession of their property; nor should they be in any way enslaved; should the contrary happen, it shall be null and have no effect." This decree explicitly condemned the enslavement of indigenous peoples and extended to all non-Christians, affirming their inherent dignity as creations of God. Later, Pope Pius IX labeled the slave trade "supreme villainy" (summum nefas) in the bull of canonization for Saint Peter Claver himself, underscoring the Church's moral stance against this atrocity.
Claver's ministry was hands-on and tireless. As slave ships docked, he descended into their fetid holds, armed with medicines, food, brandy, lemons, tobacco, and interpreters. He nursed the sick, comforted the terrified, and instructed them in the Catholic faith, baptizing an estimated 300,000 over 40 years. Reflecting on his approach, Claver said, "We must speak to them with our hands by giving, before we try to speak to them with our lips." He emphasized human dignity and God's love, prevailing upon slave owners to treat the baptized humanely as fellow Christians. Claver's philosophy was rooted in detachment and divine will: "To love God as He ought to be loved, we must be detached from all temporal love. We must love nothing but Him, or if we love anything else, we must love it only for His sake." And, "Man's salvation and perfection consists of doing the will of God which he must have in view in all things, and at every moment of his life."
His apostolate extended beyond the port. As the "apostle of Cartagena," Claver preached in city squares, gave missions to sailors and traders, and visited rural plantations, lodging in slave quarters rather than with owners to encourage faith and humane treatment. He exhorted, "To do the will of God, man must despise his own; the more he dies to himself, the more he will live to God." Even in visits to plantations, he refused owners' hospitality, staying among the enslaved to model solidarity.
In his final years, stricken by plague in 1651 and confined for four years, Claver endured neglect and abuse from his caretaker without complaint, believing he deserved such treatment. He died on September 8, 1654, and despite prior opposition from city officials, he was buried at public expense with great pomp, reflecting his profound impact.
Claver's legacy was formalized when Pope Leo XIII canonized him on January 15, 1888, alongside Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez. In his encyclical In Plurimis (1888) on the abolition of slavery, Leo praised Claver's work, proclaiming him the patron of all Roman Catholic missions to African peoples in 1896. He is also the patron saint of interracial justice, those in slavery, and the Republic of Colombia. Other saints and Church figures echoed this mission; for instance, Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez's encouragement directly shaped Claver's path.
Saint Peter Claver's life reminds us, as he put it, to "Seek God in all things and you shall find God by your side." His unwavering service amid "supreme villainy" stands as a testament to the Catholic Church's enduring call to uphold human dignity.
Sources
From Saint Peter Claver Himself
- "We must speak to them with our hands by giving, before we try to speak to them with our lips." (A-Z Quotes)
- “To love God as He ought to be loved, we must be detached from all temporal love. We must love nothing but Him, or if we love anything else, we must love it only for His sake.” (AnaStpaul)
- “Seek God in all things and you shall find God by your side.” (Catholic Faith Patron Saints)
- “To do the will of God, man must despise his own; the more he dies to himself, the more he will live to God.” (AnaStpaul)
- "Man's salvation and perfection consists of doing the will of God which he must have in view in all things, and at every moment of his life.” (Good News Ministries)
- "Petrus Claver, Æthiopum semper servu" (“Peter Claver, forever a servant of the Africans”). (Online Prayer)
From Other Saints
- Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez: Encouragement to save "millions of perishing souls." (Catholic Online)
- Jesuit Father Alfonso de Sandoval: "the slave of the Negroes forever." (Franciscan Media)
From the Catholic Church
- Pope Paul III: Condemnation of slavery in Sublimis Deus (1537). (EWTN)
- Pope Pius IX: Labeled slave trade "supreme villainy" in the bull of canonization for Saint Peter Claver. (Catholic Encyclopedia)
- Pope Leo XIII: Canonization and declaration as patron in In Plurimis (1888) and 1896 proclamation. (USCCB)
From Catholic Sources
- Franciscan Media: Detailed biography and Church references.
- Catholic Online: Biography, quotes, and influences.
- Additional hagiographies from AnaStpaul, Good News Ministries, and others confirming Claver's work and quotes.