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.
"The Vatican is starting to own up to their crimes against humanity."
ReplyDeleteBecause the crimes are in the hundred of thousands, the Vatican is actually in a huge dilemma... "OMG, where do we begin? Shall we start with the pedophile crimes?"
- When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.
Desmond Tutu
African leaders are talking to address the West and saying: ‘You’ve done nothing for us. You just took our wealth and you ask us why the Chinese are in our country when they are giving us the road communications, transport, hospitals, universities, and you only came here to take our wealth’.
ReplyDeleteAll the covered up crimes of the Catholic Church had been laid bare for the whole world to see, so it is just timely for the Vatican to do some damage control. Perhaps a regime change in the Vatican should be on the cards over such self incrimination. Would Biden please come out and say someone must be removed?
ReplyDeleteFor the USA, when they started accusations about genocide in Xinjiang, netizens countered with genocide committed by them against the North American Natives and the predator soon became the prey.
When they started accusations over human rights abuses in Xinjiang, netizens countered with slavery committed by the Anglo Saxon Whites in Africa, of young blacks who were kidnapped and shipped to USA to help build railways and worked as slaves in cotton fields and as beast of burden for the rich. They lost their moral standing over such revelations.
When they started accusations about war crimes against Russia, netizens came out with even worse instances of war crimes committed by the USA in Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, Yugoslavia and Yemen.
When they claimed their love for Muslims in Xinjiang, netizens asked them about the millions of Muslims they killed in the Middle East. And worst of all, starting a war in Iraq that had been based on fabricated evidence. That was totally inexcusable and a war crime clear and simple.
As Putin puts it, what the USA accused others of doing it, they have done it before. How true!
Peaceful and loving Religion?
ReplyDeleteHELL you go ah!
An African once said about the European missionaries going into Africa. They came onto my country and taught us to pray. They told us to close our eyes and pray, but when we opened our eyes again all our land were stolen from us. That was the way the ancient "do-gooders" conned the native Africans.
ReplyDelete