Pope Leo XIV has issued a historic apology for the Catholic Church’s delayed condemnation of slavery, acknowledging that past V
atican authorities allowed and legitimised forms of human subjugation for centuries.
The apology was contained in his first encyclical titled “Magnifica Humanitas” or “Magnificent Humanity,” released on Monday. In the document, the Pope admitted that the Holy See had, in earlier centuries, responded to requests from European rulers by regulating and approving systems that included the enslavement of non-Christians.
He described the Church’s historical involvement as a painful chapter and “a wound in Christian memory,” while stressing that although historical decisions should be viewed within their time, the delay in condemning slavery cannot be ignored or minimised.
Pope Leo noted that the Catholic Church had always taught the dignity of the human person, but acknowledged it took nearly eighteen centuries before slavery was formally declared incompatible with Christian doctrine.
The encyclical also reflects on modern concerns surrounding human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence and rapid technological development.
Historians describe the statement as unprecedented because previous popes apologised for the actions of Christians involved in the transatlantic slave trade, but none had directly acknowledged the role played by earlier popes in granting European powers authority to enslave people.
The Pope also recalled that Pope Leo XIII became the first pontiff to explicitly condemn slavery in 1888, long after several countries had already abolished the practice.
The Vatican says the new encyclical is part of broader efforts to confront historical injustices while reaffirming the Church’s commitment to human dignity, justice, and equality.
