Apostle of slaves

What Mother Teresa did in India in the 20th century, a Spanish Jesuit priest did in South America in the 17th. Both worked among the most miserable, the most abandoned people – Mother Teresa among Indians in Calcutta, Pedro Claver among Negro slaves at the port of Cartagena in what is now Colombia.

The slave trade was one of the most horrible things that ever happened in human history. European thugs (mostly British) roamed about Africa, capturing as many people as they could, chaining them together and loading them on ships to be transported to the New World. They were loaded in ships like inhuman cargo. The lack of ventilation and sanitation often caused epidemics. A voyage was called "successful" if only one-third of the captives died. They were unloaded at ports, one of them was Cartagena. From there they were brought to the slave markets and sold like any product. It is said that an average of 10,000 slaves passed through Cartagena every year.

Father Pedro Claver did not fulminate against the slave trade. Instead he did something more important and more difficult. He ministered to the individual slaves. He would meet the slave ship, board it together with his Negro interpreters. He gave food to all and medicine to those who needed treatment. He also ministered to them in the port.

Many were dying or in danger of death. These he would briefly instruct and baptize. He also baptized others who stayed longer . It is said he baptized a total of over 300,000.

Father Claver eventually got sick and his last years as an invalid were miserable. The Jesuits were too busy to take care of him, so they assigned a servant to do so. That wretch neglected his patient, ate the best portions of food and gave Father Claver the leftovers. The patient was seldom washed.

But when Father Claver died, the whole city erupted and rushed to the Jesuit house to see "the Saint". Like vultures they took away as "relics" anything not tied down. Hundreds attended his funeral .

San Pedro Claver is now a canonized saint. His feast is September 9.