Pope denies genocide of Indigenous
peoples of the Americas
Hugo Chávez, Indigenous groups demand apology
Indigenous peoples of the Americas and progressives forces, including Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, demanded and apology from Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, the leader of the Catholic church, for racist, ahistorical comments during his recent visit to Latin America that denied the genocide caused by the and European conquest of the Americas.
"Christianity was not imposed by a foreign culture," said Ratzinger in Aparecida, Brazil. He was ignoring the colonial
relationship of the European powers to the Americas that was based on stealing the wealth of Indigenous peoples and extracting wealth from enslaved African peoples—a relationship supported by the church at that time.
Under colonial rule, Indigenous and African beliefs were banned and people were forced to adhere to the domination of the church. It was not uncommon for priests to bless conquistadors before a massacre of Native peoples...
"Christianity was not imposed by a foreign culture," said Ratzinger in Aparecida, Brazil. He was ignoring the colonial
relationship of the European powers to the Americas that was based on stealing the wealth of Indigenous peoples and extracting wealth from enslaved African peoples—a relationship supported by the church at that time.
Under colonial rule, Indigenous and African beliefs were banned and people were forced to adhere to the domination of the church. It was not uncommon for priests to bless conquistadors before a massacre of Native peoples...
