In his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” Pope Leo XIV publicly apologized for the historical role of the papacy in granting European rulers the power to subjugate and enslave non-Christians.
A Historic Admission
While previous popes have addressed the participation of Christians in the transatlantic slave trade, Pope Leo XIV is the first to explicitly acknowledge and apologize for the Vatican’s historical endorsement of enslavement. The apology was issued on May 25 in his inaugural encyclical.
The Pope expressed “deep sorrow” regarding past sufferings and humiliations, labeling these historical actions a “wound in Christian memory” that cannot be ignored. He stated that he asks for forgiveness on behalf of the Church.
Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery
The origins of this papal involvement trace back to the 1452 bull “Dum Diversas,” in which Pope Nicholas V authorized the King of Portugal to conquer and enslave “pagans and other unbelievers.” These documents provided the moral and legal framework for the Doctrine of Discovery, which facilitated the dispossession and extermination of indigenous populations.
Although Pope Francis formally repudiated the doctrine in 2023, Leo XIV emphasized that the Church took far too long—eighteen centuries—to unequivocally condemn slavery as incompatible with its doctrine of human dignity.
Modern Context and Accountability
Leo XIV addressed the persistence of exploitation, connecting historical slavery to contemporary forms of forced labor and colonialism driven by the digital revolution, specifically citing the extraction of rare earth minerals.
The Pope acknowledged that while moral decisions of the past cannot be judged solely by modern standards, the Church and society at large must confront the excessive delay in condemning the scourge of slavery.