Vatican Apologizes for the Church’s Historical Role in Justifying European Colonialism

 

ROME (March 30) — The Vatican apologized for the Catholic Church’s historical role in justifying colonialism by European powers in other parts of the world and criticized pronouncements by past popes that authorized the seizure of indigenous people’s lands.

The Vatican’s statement on colonialism was a response to demands from indigenous leaders in Canada and elsewhere for the papacy to renounce the so-called doctrine of discovery. That idea, which was used to justify European expansionism in the Americas and elsewhere, held that the Christian powers of Europe had the right to rule over lands that European explorers discovered.

The Vatican repudiated the doctrine of discovery, which it said was never a part of Catholic teaching but rather a construct of later jurists. It acknowledged that papal decrees in the 15th century, which permitted Portugal to subjugate Muslims and other non-Christians in Africa, and divided overseas territories between Portugal and Spain, “did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of indigenous peoples.”

“These racist legal doctrines have allowed Canada to unilaterally claim sovereignty over our peoples and our lands, and further used it as an excuse to commit genocide. And today, the Vatican finally said what our peoples have always known,” said Bobby Cameron, chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, in an emailed statement.

Anonymous 

PS. They used the same Doctrine of Christian Discovery to rob the lands of America, Canada, Africa, Australia, New Zealand etc etc. The Vatican is starting to own up to their crimes against humanity.