Pope Leo XIV Asks Forgiveness for Church's Role in Slavery

In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV has apologized for the Catholic Church's historic role in slavery, acknowledging that it took centuries for the Church to fully recognize the "scourge of slavery" as incompatible with human dignity.

"For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon", the pope wrote in the document Magnifica Humanitas, expressing "deep sorrow" for the suffering of enslaved people.

Leo XIV acknowledged that church authorities had legitimized various forms of subjugation in the past, including the enslavement of non-Christians, and noted that ecclesiastical institutions had themselves owned slaves in the Middle Ages.

According to the pope, it was not until the 19th century, under the pontificate of Leo XIII, that the Church arrived at a "formal, absolute and universal condemnation" of slavery. Leo XIV described the earlier period as one of inconsistent teaching and practice.

The statements represent the most direct acknowledgement to date of the Vatican's institutional responsibility for slavery. Previous popes focused mainly on the culpability of individual Christians or historical circumstances.

The encyclical also addresses the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence and new forms of exploitation in the global economy.

(reuters, bak)