Pope Leo XIV Apologizes for Church’s Role in Slavery

Summary

Pope Leo XIV delivered a historic apology, admitting the Vatican’s past role in legitimizing slavery through papal bulls that gave European rulers permission to enslave non-Christians — a move that helped fuel centuries of exploitation. In his landmark encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas,” he called it a “wound in Christian memory,” expressing deep sorrow for…

Show notes

Pope Leo XIV delivered a historic apology, admitting the Vatican’s past role in legitimizing slavery through papal bulls that gave European rulers permission to enslave non-Christians — a move that helped fuel centuries of exploitation. In his landmark encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas,” he called it a “wound in Christian memory,” expressing deep sorrow for the suffering endured and asking for forgiveness on behalf of the Church. While previous popes apologized for the slave trade, Leo was the fir

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