Tribal Indians condemn pope’s denial of indigenous holocaust
Indian leaders in Brazil have reacted angrily to
comments by Pope Benedict that they had been purified by the Roman Catholic
church since Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492.
Indian leaders in Brazil have reacted angrily to
comments by Pope Benedict that they had been purified by the Roman Catholic
church since Columbus landed in the Americas in
1492.
In a speech to bishops at the end of a visit to Brazil on Sunday, Benedict said indigenous people of the Americas had welcomed European priests after conquest.
The pope had said the peoples of the Americas had a “silent longing” for Christianity and welcomed European priests’ arrival.
He said the church had not imposed itself on the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Since Colombus’s landing, millions of tribal Indians are believed to have died as a result of European colonisation backed by the Roman Catholic church through murder, disease or enslavement.
I can look out my living room window, south to the Ortiz mountains. Pueblo Indians toiled as slaves there - mining gold for Spanish conquistadors. They were tortured and executed if they didn’t work hard enough. And their slavemasters were blessed by colonial priests for doing God’s work.
Someone might explain to the pope that the “silent longing” was for freedom!
In a speech to bishops at the end of a visit to Brazil on Sunday, Benedict said indigenous people of the Americas had welcomed European priests after conquest.
The pope had said the peoples of the Americas had a “silent longing” for Christianity and welcomed European priests’ arrival.
He said the church had not imposed itself on the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Since Colombus’s landing, millions of tribal Indians are believed to have died as a result of European colonisation backed by the Roman Catholic church through murder, disease or enslavement.
I can look out my living room window, south to the Ortiz mountains. Pueblo Indians toiled as slaves there - mining gold for Spanish conquistadors. They were tortured and executed if they didn’t work hard enough. And their slavemasters were blessed by colonial priests for doing God’s work.
Someone might explain to the pope that the “silent longing” was for freedom!
Posted: Tue - May 15, 2007 at 06:06 AM