The Vatican has condemned the controversial “Doctrine of Discovery,” a 15th-century document that allowed European countries to pursue colonial policies and claim indigenous lands.
The Holy See said in a statement that the “Doctrine of the Discovery” is not part of the teachings of the Catholic Church, and “papal documents written in a certain historical period and related to political issues have never been considered an expression of the Catholic faith.”
The church also confirms that “these papal bulls (a type of official papal message) did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of indigenous peoples”, and colonial powers used the documents for political purposes “to justify immoral acts against indigenous peoples, which were sometimes carried out without opposition ecclesiastical authorities.” In this regard, the Vatican said in a statement, it is necessary to “admit mistakes, acknowledge the terrible consequences of the policy of assimilation and the pain experienced by the indigenous peoples, and ask for forgiveness.”
The Holy See notes that it supports the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the principles of which improve their living conditions. The statement also quoted Pope Francis as saying that the Christian community “should never allow itself to be infected with the idea of the superiority of one culture over others or the legitimacy of using means to coerce others.”
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
