Bolivia: Pope Francis 'humbly asks forgiveness' for sins of Church against native peoples of Latin America

Pope Francis issued a heartfelt apology for the sins and offences of the Church committed against the indigenous peoples of Latin America during the colonial era, during his encounter with the World Meeting of Popular Movements in Santa Crus on Thursday evening. Representatives of many indigenous groups were present - together with the country's first ever indigenous president - President Evo Morales.

In his speech, Pope Francis said that Latin American Catholic leaders have previously addressed the "grave sins committed against the native peoples of America in the name of God". He also recalled that, during a visit to the Dominican Republic in 1992, Pope John Paul II had apologised for the "pain and suffering" over the hundreds of years since the Church arrived at American shores.

St. John Paul II issued a sweeping apology in 2000 for the sins of the church in the past and in 2001 sent a messagel apologising for missionary abuses against the aborigines of Oceania.

Pope Francis said: "I humbly ask forgiveness, not only for the offences of the church herself, but also for crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America."

Going off-script, he continued: "I also want for us to remember the thousands and thousands of priests who strongly opposed the logic of the sword with the power of the cross. There was sin, and it was plentiful.

"But we never apologised, so I now ask for forgiveness. But where there was sin, and there was plenty of sin, there was also an abundant grace increased by the men who defended indigenous peoples."

The indigenous groups welcomed these comments with loud applause.

See also: Bolivia: ICN 10 July 2015 - Pope Francis addresses World Meeting of Popular Movements - text www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=27899