What did pope Paul III say about the Native Americans?

Pope Paul III addressed the treatment of Native Americans in his papal bull "Sublimis Deus" in 1537. He declared that Indigenous peoples were rational beings with souls and should not be enslaved or treated as mere property. The bull emphasized the need for respect and protection of their rights, asserting that they could be converted to Christianity without coercion. This document marked an important stance against the enslavement and mistreatment of Native populations during the colonial period.