The apology was contained in the Pope’s first encyclical titled "Magnifica Humanitas" (“Magnificent Humanity”), released on Monday, where he addressed the dangers posed by artificial intelligence and modern forms of exploitation linked to the digital economy.
Pope Leo XIV has issued a historic apology for the role played by the Vatican in legitimising slavery and failing for centuries to condemn the trans-Atlantic slave trade, describing the Catholic Church’s record as “a wound in Christian memory.”
The apology was contained in the Pope’s first encyclical titled "Magnifica Humanitas" (“Magnificent Humanity”), released on Monday, where he addressed the dangers posed by artificial intelligence and modern forms of exploitation linked to the digital economy.
In the document, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged for the first time that past popes granted European colonial powers religious backing to conquer foreign lands and enslave non-Christians during the colonial era.
“It is impossible not to feel deep sorrow when contemplating the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many in stark contrast to their immeasurable dignity as persons infinitely loved by the Lord,” the Pope wrote as quoted by AP News.
