Pax Christi USA celebrates the news that the Vatican has finally renounced the “Doctrine of Discovery,” which was used justify colonization and, as Religion News Service reported in 2021, “allowed Europeans to insist Christian rulers can, among other things, seize the land and possessions of non-Christians.”
National Catholic Reporter writes:
The Vatican on March 30 formally repudiated the “Doctrine of Discovery,” officially declaring that an historic policy used to justify colonial exploitation is “not part of the teaching of the Catholic Church.”
The rejection of the concept, which has been used to describe a collection of papal teachings dating back to the 15th century, comes after years of pressure from Indigenous groups and some government leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“In no uncertain terms, the Church’s magisterium upholds the respect due to every human being,” states a two-page text released jointly by the Vatican’s Dicasteries for Culture and Education and Promoting Integral Human Development. “The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political ‘doctrine of discovery.’ ” …
National Catholic Reporter, March 30, 2023
Use this link to read the entire article.
Pax Christi Maine and Pax Christi South Dakota are just two of the Pax Christi groups in the United States that have worked on this issue for years, recognizing that in order to create true reconciliation with justice, we must have an honest assessment of past behavior and its contribution to structural and societal damage. We also appreciate the strong stance offered by Bishop Douglas J. Lucia of Syracuse, NY, who has been outspoken against the Doctrine.