In Bolivia, Pope apologizes for 'crimes committed' by the Catholic Church against indigenous people

Pope Francis in Bolivia.
(Image credit: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images)

During an event in Bolivia on Thursday, Pope Francis apologized for the "offenses" carried out by the Catholic Church against indigenous people in the past.

Speaking to activists, indigenous groups, and President Evo Morales, the first-ever indigenous president of Bolivia, Francis said he "humbly" asked for "forgiveness, not only for the offenses of the church itself, but also for crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America." Francis stated that Latin American church leaders have acknowledged "grave sins were committed against the native peoples of America in the name of God," and in 2000, St. John Paul II issued his own apology for sins previously committed by the church.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.