Pope Leo has issued a historic apology for the Vatican’s role in endorsing slavery and for its prolonged failure to condemn the practice, describing the Church’s history as a “wound in Christian memory.” In his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), released on May 25, the pontiff acknowledged that past popes authorized European monarchs to conquer African and American territories and to enslave non-Christians, marking an unprecedented acknowledgment from the Holy See.

The apology comes as part of a broader reflection on slavery’s legacy, including the transatlantic slave trade, which previous popes have addressed, though none had directly admitted the Vatican’s participation in legitimizing those acts. Pope Leo, the first US-born pope with family ties to both enslaved individuals and slave owners, emphasized the deep suffering inflicted and expressed sorrow for the Church's delayed denunciation.

The encyclical cites a series of 15th-century papal bulls issued by the Vatican that granted Portuguese rulers the authority to subjugate and enslave “infidels.” While these decrees have never been formally rescinded or revoked, the Vatican points to the 1537 bull, Sublimis Deus, which affirmed that indigenous peoples are not to be enslaved or deprived of their liberty and property. The Vatican formally repudiated the original doctrine in 2023.

Pope Leo acknowledged the complexity of judging historical decisions by contemporary ethical standards but stressed that neither society nor the Church acted swiftly enough to confront slavery’s evils. “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, further stating that the Church’s affirmation of human dignity, though longstanding, took nearly 18 centuries to explicitly repudiate slavery.

The pontiff also drew parallels between historical enslavement and modern exploitative practices, highlighting “new forms of slavery and colonialism” emerging from the digital revolution, such as unregulated labor conditions linked to the mining of rare minerals essential for artificial intelligence chips. He called on the Church to actively condemn all forms of trafficking related to technological advances to prevent repeating past failures.

“This constitutes a wound in Christian memory, one from which we cannot consider ourselves detached,” Pope Leo said, urging a continued commitment to human dignity in accordance with the Church’s faith.