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 Holy Father of the harm these bulls have done to the indigenous population."

The Doctrine draws from a series of papal documents dating back to 1452.

These were also included in future documents: Indigenous peoples were read the Spanish conquistadors' "Requerimiento", proclaiming their land belonged to Spain and demanding they abide by the monarchy's and the pope's authority.

"This particular doctrine has been used to justify both political and personal violence against Indigenous nations, Indigenous peoples and their culture — their religious and their territorial identities," Lucia says.

As recently as 2005 the US Supreme Court ruled that repurchasing traditional tribal lands does not "unilaterally revive (the tribe's) ancient sovereignty" over it.

"I've been trying to bring attention to this question of why the church, if it really wants to seek restorative justice, can't just issue apologies," says David McCallum SJ who alerted Lucia to the historical facts.

A papal bull from Alexander VI's in 1493, for instance, gave Spanish explorers the freedom to colonize the Americas and to convert Native peoples to Catholicism.

Lucia says last US spring when the US bishops' conference (USCCB) discussed ministry to Native Alaskans and Native Americans, he asked about residential schools for indigenous children and the Doctrine.

These schools' legacy has been in the news lately after hundreds of unmarked graves were found at three former schools in Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked Francis to apologize — on Canadian soil — for the Church's role in this.

Up to 60 percent of Canada's 139 residential schools were run by the Catholic Church. An Indigenous delegation from Canada will meet Francis in December "to foster meaningful encounters of dialogue and healing."

The USCCB says it is watching the investigation "closely", pledging to "look for ways to be of assistance." However,

Lucia says he hasn't had any reaction from it about his concerns.

Although the Church rescinded the Doctrine centuries ago, this doesn't address the "enormity of the trauma and generational impact" the teachings had on Indigenous peoples, says McCallum.

There have been various Indigenous delegations to Rome - one in 2016 - to press the Vatican about the Doctrine.

"There have been responses ..., but they're not taking responsibility for anything," says Steven Newcomb, the Shawnee/Lenape co-founder of the Indigenous Law Institute, who led the 2016 delegation.

Numerous Protestant religious groups have rebuked the Doctrine, as did the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which called on Francis to rescind the Doctrine in 2014.

"Simple apologies are not sufficient," Newcomb says. "There needs to be a real reckoning."

Lucia agrees: "Even as a Church we are called to conversion. I think this might be one of those conversion moments."

Source

• Religion News Service
• Image: Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse

Barely challenged, the US clergyman (pictured) ascended the Catholic hierarchy to become a cardinal - a prince of the Church.

He used personal contacts to help him along the way. When challenged, he protested his innocence.

The newly-published report notes the lack of Church officials reporting and investigating accusations against McCarrick.

It was during Pope St. John Paul IIs papacy that McCarrick was appointed firstly archbishop of Washington and then cardinal.

The Vatican says John Paul probably overlooked the abuse rumours about McCarrick: they'd known each other a long time and McCarrick strongly denied the rumours. It's also possible John Paul was influenced by his own experience in Poland with communist authorities making accusations to discredit the church.

However, rumours of McCarrick's conduct when he was a bishop, especially with young adult men and seminarians led the Vatican to stop promoting him.

They decided it would be "imprudent" for him to become archbishop of Chicago in 1997, of New York in 1999-2000 and, initially, of Washington in July 2000.

In June 2018 the Vatican suspended McCarrick from ministry after an investigation by the Archdiocese of New York found credible a charge that he sexually abused a teenager.

McCarrick resigned from the College of Cardinals in July 2018.

In February 2019 Pope Francis dismissed the ex-cardinal from the priesthood.

His dismissal followed a canonical process, which found him guilty of "solicitation in the sacrament of confession and sins against the Sixth Commandment with minors and with adults, with the aggravating factor of the abuse of power."

Francis initiated an investigation into how McCarrick was able to continue to rise through church ranks despite the repeated rumors, anonymous letters, allegations and even settlements with alleged victims.

In August 2018, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, called on Francis to resign, claiming he had informed Francis of McCarrick's abuse in 2013. Vigano said top Vatican officials had known of McCarrick's abusive behavior for years.

The Vatican report summary released to the media says "No records support Vigano's account" of his meeting with Pope Francis about the ex-cardinal "and evidence as to what he said is sharply disputed."

Until the allegations about child sexual abuse were made to the Archdiocese of New York in 2017, "Francis had heard only that there had been allegations and rumors related to immoral conduct with adults occurring prior to McCarrick's appointment to Washington," it says.

"Believing that the allegations had already been reviewed and rejected by Pope John Paul II, and well aware that McCarrick was active during the papacy of Benedict XVI, Pope Francis did not see the need to alter the approach that had been adopted in prior years," the summary says.

In its s introduction the report says it is based on documents found at the Vatican and the US apostolic nunciature, plus interviews with over 90 witnesses, including survivors, cardinals, bishops and former seminarians.

Survivors contributions to the report were "fundamental," says Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of State.

Source

• The Tablet
• Image: Catholic News Service
• Image: Crux Now