{"id":2606609,"date":"2026-05-25T10:55:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T14:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pope-leo-says-catholic-churchs-legitimizing-of-slavery-is-a-wound\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T10:56:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T14:56:53","slug":"pope-leo-says-catholic-churchs-legitimizing-of-slavery-is-a-wound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pope-leo-says-catholic-churchs-legitimizing-of-slavery-is-a-wound\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo says Catholic Church&#8217;s legitimizing of slavery is a wound"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpope-leo-says-catholic-churchs-legitimizing-of-slavery-is-a-wound%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2606609&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Pope Leo XIV apologized for the Catholic Church\u2019s past legitimization of slavery, calling the delayed condemnation a \u201cwound in Christian memory.\u201d In his first encyclical, **\u201cmagnifica Humanitas,\u201d** the first American pope focuses on how the church should respond to the rise of artificial intelligence while protecting human dignity.  <\/p>\n<p>He highlights \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dhs-chief-mayorkas-strips-border-protections-from-u-s-graduates\/\" title=\"DHS Chief Mayorkas Strips Border Protections from U.S. Graduates\">invisible labor<\/a>\u201d that sustains the digital economy-such as data labeling and content moderation-and warns about the harsh, frequently enough <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >hazardous exploitation tied<\/a> to producing the devices and microprocessors used for AI, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-strengthens-e-waste-recycling-efforts-with-new-law\/\" title=\"California strengthens e-waste recycling with new law.\">including child labor<\/a> in some regions. Leo also cautioned that AI can be used by human traffickers, but argued it could perhaps enable new forms of \u201cemancipation.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p>The pope said the Church must confront both AI-related ethical risks and its ancient delay in denouncing slavery, noting that while slavery was tolerated for centuries and regulated in earlier periods, a universal condemnation became clear only in the nineteenth century under Pope Leo XIII. he concluded by expressing sorrow and asking pardon on behalf of the Church.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pope <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pope-leo-xiv\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11789\">Leo XIV<\/a> apologized on Monday for the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/catholic-church\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2001\">Catholic Church\u2019s<\/a> legitimization of slavey, saying the delay in denouncing the practice was a \u201cwound in Christian memory.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leo, the first American pope, released his first encyclical, titled \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vatican.va\/content\/leo-xiv\/en\/encyclicals\/documents\/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html#_chains_of_new_forms_of_slavery\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.vatican.va\/content\/leo-xiv\/en\/encyclicals\/documents\/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html#_chains_of_new_forms_of_slavery\">Magnifica Humanitas<\/a>.\u201d The 43,000-word manifesto focused on the rise of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/artificial-intelligence\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1658\">artificial intelligence<\/a> and how the church should respond to protect human dignity in the digital age.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4580052\/operation-benjamin-fallen-soldiers-stars-of-david\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Operation Benjamin: Restoring fallen soldiers\u2019 lost Stars of David<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a 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               <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA significant part of the digital economy\u2019s functioning relies on the silent work of millions of people engaged in essential yet largely unseen activities, such as data labeling, model training and content moderation, often involving disturbing material,\u201d the pope wrote. <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAdded to this invisible labor is the even harsher work of extracting the resources required for the production of the devices and microprocessors on which AI depends,\u201d the pope added. \u201cIn some regions of the world, children and adolescents work in dangerous conditions, crushing the materials from which rare earth elements are extracted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Warning that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/human-trafficking\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1790\">human traffickers<\/a> were using the same tool, Leo said AI could produce new forms of \u201cemancipation\u201d as well as \u201cnew forms of global subordination.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe fight against new forms of slavery is a decisive test for the ethical discernment of AI and digital transformation,\u201d the pope wrote. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leo said that as the Church weighed how to respond to AI and its possible manipulation by criminals, there was also the need to address the delay that it took the institution to \u201cdenounce the scourge of slavery.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn antiquity and the Middle Ages many individuals and even ecclesiastical institutions had slaves,\u201d the pope wrote. \u201cAlready in the early modern period, the Apostolic See of Rome, responding to requests from Sovereigns, intervened several times in order to regulate and legitimize forms of subjugation, and, in certain cases, the enslavement of infidels.\u2019 It was only in the nineteenth century that a formal, absolute and universal condemnation of slavery was clearly articulated, notably under Pope Leo XIII.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4571643\/pope-leo-6-7-trend-for-children\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4571643\/pope-leo-6-7-trend-for-children\/\">POPE LEO DOES \u20186-7\u2019 TREND FOR CHILDREN AT THE VATICAN<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leo wrote that \u201cslavery was long tolerated before being unequivocally condemned\u201d and bemoaned the fact that it \u201ctook eighteen centuries for its full incompatibility\u201d with Church teachings to be fully recognized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis constitutes a wound in Christian memory, one from which we cannot consider ourselves detached,\u201d he wrote. \u201cIt is impossible not to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hyatt-executive-tom-pritzker-stepping-down-over-epstein-ties\/\" title=\"Hyatt executive Tom Pritzker stepping down over Epstein ties\">feel deep sorrow<\/a> when contemplating the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many in stark contrast to their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-critical-time-house-speaker-mike-johnson-tells-thousands-at-march-for-life-to-take-action\/\" title=\"Urgent Call to Action&#039;: House Speaker Mike Johnson Urges Thousands at March for Life\">immeasurable dignity<\/a> as persons infinitely loved by the Lord. For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pope Leo XIV apologizes for slavery delay; issues AI encyclical<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2677,"featured_media":2606610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26144308926038.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[33551,55381,12295,9367],"class_list":["post-2606609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-catholic-church","tag-pope-leo","tag-slavery","tag-vatican"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26144308926038.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2677"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2606609"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2606613,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606609\/revisions\/2606613"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2606610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2606609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2606609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2606609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}