VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV issued an apology on May 25, 2026, for the Holy See's historical role in legitimizing slavery and for failing to condemn it for centuries. He described the Vatican’s past actions as a "wound in Christian memory." This marks the first time a pope has publicly acknowledged the complicity of previous popes in granting European sovereigns the authority to enslave non-Christians.
In his first encyclical titled "Magnifica Humanitas," Pope Leo XIV addressed the trans-Atlantic slave trade and linked it to modern forms of slavery arising from the digital revolution, including unregulated labor practices in the extraction of minerals for artificial intelligence.
Anthea Butler, a senior fellow at the Koch History Center, emphasized the importance of the pope's acknowledgment of the Catholic Church’s past to address contemporary issues related to technological exploitation.
Pope Leo XIV expressed sorrow for the suffering endured by enslaved individuals, stating, "For this, in the name of the church, I sincerely ask for pardon." He noted that the church had historically upheld the dignity of all human beings but acknowledged the Vatican's past directives that authorized the enslavement of non-Christians.
The encyclical referenced historical papal bulls from the 15th century that legitimized the enslavement of individuals deemed "infidels." While the Vatican formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery in 2023, it has not rescinded the original bulls.
Pope Leo XIV pointed out that the first explicit condemnation of slavery by a pope occurred in 1888, long after many countries had abolished the practice. He acknowledged the delay in the church's denunciation of slavery and emphasized the need for the church to condemn all forms of trafficking related to modern technology to prevent future apologies for failing to uphold human dignity.