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The Pope apologized for how the Vatican legitimized slavery. Now what?

Pope Leo XIV waves as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (Andrew Medichini/AP)
Andrew Medichini/AP
Pope Leo XIV waves as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (Andrew Medichini/AP)

In the first letter, or encyclical, of his papacy, Pope Leo wrote about artificial intelligence and winners and losers in society. And he also made a stunning acknowledgment. He apologized for the Vatican’s direct role in legitimizing slavery.

Dr. Uché Blackstock, a physician who writes about medicine and racial justice, wrote about her complicated reaction to the apology and how the Catholic church might repair the harms caused by slavery that still reverberate across the world.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

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