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Pope Leo XIV leads the Angelus in St. Peter\u2019s Square at the Vatican May 31, 2026. (Photo: OSV News\/Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tPope Leo XIV leads the Angelus in St. Peter\u2019s Square at the Vatican May 31, 2026. (Photo: OSV News\/Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media)<\/p>\n
BEDFORD-STUYVESANT \u2014 When Darcel Whitten-Wilamowski, director of the Sister Thea Bowman Mass Choir<\/a>, learned that in his first encyclical Pope Leo XIV issued a formal apology for the Catholic Church\u2019s role in slavery, she was overjoyed.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a black Catholic, I feel seen,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s like a light bulb moment, like when an actor on the stage has the spotlight on them. What it says to me is that the pope is saying to us, \u2018I see you, and I want you to be hopeful.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cHe knows we\u2019re here, and I take great comfort in that. It solidifies my faith.\u201d<\/p>\n African Americans in the Diocese of Brooklyn who spoke to The Tablet praised the Holy Father\u2019s message in which he acknowledged that the church was late in condemning slavery \u2014 a condemnation that didn\u2019t come until 1888, two decades after the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery<\/a> in the U.S.<\/p>\n In \u201cMagnifica Humanitas,\u201d his first encyclical as leader of the world\u2019s 1.4 billion Catholics, Pope Leo XIV focused on the dangers that artificial intelligence poses. But he also wrote about the evils of slavery and asked for forgiveness for the church\u2019s slow response.<\/p>\n RELATED: 13 Things To Know About Pope Leo XIV\u2019s Encyclical on AI<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt is impossible not to feel deep sorry when contemplating the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many in stark contrast to their immeasurable dignity as persons infinitely loved by the Lord,\u201d the Holy Father wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cFor this, in the name of the church, I sincerely ask for pardon,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n In \u201cMagnifica Humanitas,\u201d which Pope Leo XIV released on May 25, the Pontiff warned that AI could lead to exploitation \u2014 child labor and human trafficking \u2014 in which the humanity of victims is ignored, similar to how the humanity of slaves was brushed aside.<\/p>\n Father Alonzo Cox, vicar for the Vicariate Office of Black Catholic Concerns<\/a>, said it is notable that the request for forgiveness comes from the Catholic Church\u2019s first American pope.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that as an American, he understands completely the sins of segregation here and racism here. And he is aware of the hurt that many people of color went through,\u201d Father Cox said. \u201cI would even say that he understands that black Catholics were hurt but remained in the church, primarily because of what the church means to them.\u201d<\/p>\n For Joseph Murray, the vicariate\u2019s administrative assistant, the fact that the pope\u2019s apology was not off-the-cuff but rather part of an official church document is striking.<\/p>\n \u201cFor this to be publicly acknowledged in an official Vatican document is very meaningful,\u201d he said. \u201cUp until this year, we had not had an official condemnation of the practice of slavery. What makes this so striking is that it\u2019s a full condemnation couched in the language of a personal apology from the pope.\u201d<\/p>\n The encyclical was praised by the National Black Catholic Congress, whose president, Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr., described it as \u201cproper and just,\u201d and by the Knights of St. Peter Clave<\/a>r, the black Catholic fraternal organization, which issued a statement offering its \u201cfull support\u201d of the Pontiff\u2019s words.<\/p>\n Shaniqua Wilson, a grand lady of the Knights of St. Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary, said she gasped when she read the encyclical.<\/p>\n