Pope Leo XIV Acknowledges Vatican’s Historical Role in Slave Trade

Pope Leo XIV released his inaugural encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on Monday, apologizing for the Vatican's historical role in authorizing the slave trade. The document states that past popes issued bulls granting European monarchs the right to enslave non-Christians.

It marks the first time a pontiff has sought forgiveness specifically for the Holy See's own actions rather than those of individual Christians.

In 1452, Pope Nicholas V issued Dum Diversas, authorizing Portuguese rulers to conquer and enslave non-Christians. A follow-up bull, Romanus Pontifex, was issued three years later. These documents formed the basis of the Doctrine of Discovery, which justified colonial seizures of land in Africa and the Americas.

Subsequent popes confirmed the permissions through 1514. The encyclical notes that Pope Leo XIII became the first pontiff to condemn slavery explicitly in 1888.

XIV linked the historical exploitation to contemporary issues arising from artificial intelligence development. He cited unregulated labor conditions in the extraction of minerals used for AI chips. The pope warned that failing to oppose new forms of trafficking tied to technology could require future apologies.

Genealogical research shows that 17 of the pope's American ancestors were Black, listed in census records as mulatto, Black, Creole, or free persons of color. His family history includes both slaveholders and enslaved individuals. Earlier papal statements addressed Christian participation in the slave trade but did not acknowledge direct Vatican involvement.

St. John Paul II expressed regret during visits to Cameroon in 1985 and Senegal in 1992.

“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. ”