BOLIVIA
Bloomberg
by Nathan Gill
Pope Francis asked for forgiveness for crimes committed by the Catholic Church during the colonization of the Americas at a summit in Bolivia, home to one of the region’s largest indigenous populations.
“I say with sorrow that the church has committed many serious sins against the indigenous peoples of America in the name of God,” Francis said to applause at a summit of popular movements in Santa Cruz, Bolivia on Thursday. “I humbly ask for forgiveness not only for the offenses of the church itself, but also for the crimes against native peoples during the so-called conquest of America.”
Pope Francis, on his second stop in a three-nation tour of Latin America, also defended the church and denounced the modern-day persecution of its members for speaking out against injustices and powerful interests.
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