Catholicism must also decry its own genocidal history
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Pope Francis' demand for an end to "genocide against Christians in the Middle East" seems preposterous when seen from a historical perspective.
Despite his half-hearted apologies, the crimes committed against the indigenous peoples of South and Central America by the Spanish conquistadors acting in the name of the Catholic faith were without precedent in human history.
There is no evidence that any of the popes officiating during those dark times had any objections to what really did count as genocide: whole populations were considered non-human and exterminated. Likewise, Pope Pius XII, whose deafening silence during the genocide perpetrated against the Jews and gypsies during World War II is inexcusable, represented a religion that still owes the civilised world some hard explanations.
Francis first and foremost has a moral obligation to show full repentance and apologise for his predecessors’ complicity in the worst crimes ever perpetrated against humanity.
Andy Leitner
