Vatican repudiates colonial-era 'doctrine of discovery'

Vatican Rejects 'Doctrine of Discovery', Used to Justify Colonial Conquest and Land Theft

One Native American group hopes the historic move "is more than mere words, but rather is the beginning of a full acknowledgment of the history of oppression and a full accounting of the legacies of colonialism."

Vatican rejects 'Doctrine of Discovery' that justified colonialism

The statement, from the Vatican’s development and education offices, marked a historic recognition of the Vatican's own complicity in colonial-era abuses committed by European kingdoms, and Indigenous leaders welcomed it.

Responding to Indigenous demands, Vatican rejects Discovery Doctrine

A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, “did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples” and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith.

Vatican rejects ‘doctrine of discovery’ used to justify colonial rule

The Catholic Church's move comes centuries after papal decrees were used by European powers to seize Indigenous land in Canada, the United States and elsewhere.

Vatican owns up to its past mistakes, rejects doctrine used to justify colonial abuse

During a trip to Canada last July, Pope Francis faced repeated calls to rescind the so-called Doctrine of Discovery, which was used to justify abuses against Indigenous peoples, mostly in the Americas, who were viewed as inferior

Vatican Repudiates "Discovery Doctrine"

Last month, Chief Justice Marshall's opinion in Johnson v. McIntosh turned 200 years old. Most 1Ls read this case in property. In this canonical decision, Marshall explained that European explorers "acquired" land in the Americas pursuant to the discovery doctrine.  Of course, indigenous people already resided on this territory, but those "fierce savages," as Marshall called them, did not have any property rights. Thus, European explorers could …