Reversing the Bitter Legacies of the Church’s “Dum Diversas” and “Romanus Pontifex” in Africa

The Catholic Church appears cautious in rectifying its foundational role in the enslavement, colonization and continued exploitation of Africa. The 1452 Papal Bull “Dum Diversas” and the 1455 “Romanus Pontifex” from Pope Nicholas V formally authorized the transatlantic slave trade, colonial invasion and land-expropriation from Africans by the European powers, thereby laying the foundation for […]