In late March of this year, the Vatican formally — and somewhat surprisingly — repudiated the centuries-old “Doctrine of Discovery,” based on papal dictates of the 15th century that justified the domination of newly “discovered” lands and peoples by European Christian explorers. Indigenous activists and organisations in North America were pleased but ultimately underwhelmed by Read more
One of the strong social movements of our time is the growing recognition of indigenous (first/original/ aboriginal peoples) in countries that have taken their contemporary form following a period of colonisation by European powers. The ways colonisation took place varied according to place and time but usually involved the imposition of European power over local Read more
Indigenous leaders have responded to the recent Vatican acknowledgement that the Doctrine of Discovery was not a teaching of the Catholic Church, stating that it should be just the beginning. The doctrine was supported by papal bulls (edicts) that legitimised colonial actions in seizing Indigenous lands, and it has been used to deny Indigenous peoples Read more
Though it was, in a sense, 530 years in the making, required two separate departments of the Roman Curia to address, and came a full eight months after demands burst into full public view during a high-profile papal trip to the New World, Thursday’s repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery by the Vatican may turn Read more
Taranaki Whānui is eying St Mary of the Angels and St Patrick’s College Silverstream land as way of giving meaning to the Vatican disowning the Doctrine of Discovery. The Doctrine is a 15th-century policy backed by “papal bulls” that legitimised the colonial-era seizure of Native lands. The New Zealand Catholic Bishops say they have been Read more
Preparations for a papal statement rejecting the Doctrine of Discovery are underway. Canada’s Catholic bishops’ conference (CCCB) and Vatican officials are working together on the document. They aim to create a statement rejecting an entire tradition of legal reasoning, said Jonathan Lesarge, CCCB spokesman. It is likely to address core concerns of Indigenous people in Read more
A chief’s gift of an eagle feather headdress to the pope during his penitential tour of Canada is shocking many commentators. They include indigenous peoples from across the world. One, Hemopereki Simon, is a research expert in indigenous politics and Te Tiriti. “I have survived the settler colonial education system and have come out on Read more
The Doctrine of Discovery is making headlines, especially in Canada. Numerous individuals and groups want it gone. The Doctrine is a collection of papal teachings beginning in the 14th century. The teachings (called papal bulls) blessed explorers’ efforts to colonise and claim the lands of any people who were not Christian. The explorers would then Read more
US Bishop Douglas Lucia wants Pope Francis to repudiate a series of papal decrees justifying European countries seeking to colonize other nations. He says papal decrees – called bulls – supporting the “Doctrine of Discovery” (the Doctrine) provided justification for “both political and personal violence against indigenous peoples.” He wants “a public acknowledgment from the Read more
The executive director of the Maori Council, Matthew Tukaki, has written to Pope Francis, calling for “an accounting of the trauma” the Vatican has caused and a repudiation of the doctrine of discovery. While not addressing the colonisation of Aotearoa specifically, popes have on several occasions repudiated and apologised for the doctrine of discovery going Read more