Pope Issues Historic Apology Over Vatican’s Role in Slavery and Warns of Modern AI-Driven Enslavement

Pope Issues Historic Apology Over Vatican’s Role in Slavery and Warns of Modern AI-Driven Enslavement
—————————–
Pope Leo XIV, in his first official charter titled “Magnifica Humanitas,” expressed regret over part of the Catholic Church’s history, acknowledging the Vatican’s role in legitimizing slavery and describing it as one of the dark chapters of the religious institution’s past.

According to a report by the Telegram channel of the Institute for Interreligious Dialogue, the document states that, during certain historical periods, some Church positions directly or indirectly justified the enslavement of non-Christians and failed to take a clear and firm stance against the slave trade.

In the charter, Pope Leo XIV also warned about the ethical consequences of emerging technologies, stressing that neglecting human dignity in the development of artificial intelligence could lead to a new form of modern slavery.

The document further emphasized the need for ethical oversight of advanced technologies, stating that human beings must not be reduced to tools without agency under the logic of economic profit and technological domination. It called for the protection of human dignity in all fields.