The Catholic Church was no passive bystander in the European (or so-called ‘transatlantic’) slave trade. In fact, it laid down the (divine) law that paved the way for conquest. Moreover, it took a cut on every African captive and ran slave plantations across the Americas. In more recent times, there have been a few muted apologies - but nothing substantial in terms of reparations. Our Facts of the Week reveal Rome’s hidden hand, tracing how doctrines of conquest became doctrines of exploitation.
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Sources
https://www.britannica.com/topic/bull-papal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_papal_bulls
https://www.facechangealliance.com/dumdiversas
https://globalhealth.emory.edu/_includes/documents/unsettling-truths_chapter-1.pdf
https://www.searchablemuseum.com/papal-bulls/
https://www.papalencyclicals.net/nichol05/romanus-pontifex.htm
https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/8aa95306-9256-443f-9e89-de5871874288/external_content.pdf
https://slaverylawpower.org/chapters/antecedents/romanus-pontifex/
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/timeline/171.html
https://archive.org/details/inter-caetera-papal-encyclicals-1493
https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/treaty-tordesillas
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/21/543/
https://scholarship.shu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1169&context=shlr
https://revolution.chnm.org/d/335
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Noir
https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2011/01/slavery-in-the-french-colonies/
https://slaverylawpower.org/nhprc-sample-documents/barbados-slave-code/
http://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/18880/1/114.pdf
https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/8aa95306-9256-443f-9e89-de5871874288/external_content.pdf
https://san.beck.org/9-5-Spain&Portugal.html
https://www.savemyexams.com/gcse/history/aqa/16/aqa-british-depth-study/revision-notes/elizabethan-england-c1568-1603/troubles-home-abroad/conflict-spain/
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/02/22/Pope-asks-forgiveness-for-slave-trade/8666698734800/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/21/caribbean-leaders-slavery-reparations
https://www.britannica.com/topic/bull-papal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_papal_bulls
https://www.facechangealliance.com/dumdiversas
https://globalhealth.emory.edu/_includes/documents/unsettling-truths_chapter-1.pdf
https://www.searchablemuseum.com/papal-bulls/
https://www.papalencyclicals.net/nichol05/romanus-pontifex.htm
https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/8aa95306-9256-443f-9e89-de5871874288/external_content.pdf
https://slaverylawpower.org/chapters/antecedents/romanus-pontifex/
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/timeline/171.html
https://archive.org/details/inter-caetera-papal-encyclicals-1493
https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/treaty-tordesillas
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/21/543/
https://scholarship.shu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1169&context=shlr
https://revolution.chnm.org/d/335
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Noir
https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2011/01/slavery-in-the-french-colonies/
https://slaverylawpower.org/nhprc-sample-documents/barbados-slave-code/
http://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/18880/1/114.pdf
https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/8aa95306-9256-443f-9e89-de5871874288/external_content.pdf
https://san.beck.org/9-5-Spain&Portugal.html
https://www.savemyexams.com/gcse/history/aqa/16/aqa-british-depth-study/revision-notes/elizabethan-england-c1568-1603/troubles-home-abroad/conflict-spain/
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/02/22/Pope-asks-forgiveness-for-slave-trade/8666698734800/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/21/caribbean-leaders-slavery-reparations
Encyclopedia Britannica
papal bull
Papal bull, in Roman Catholicism, an official papal letter or document. The name is derived from the lead seal (bulla) traditionally affixed to such documents. By the 13th century the term was being used only for the most important documents issued by the…
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SOUTH AFRICA IS PROUD FOR STANDING AGAINST IMPERIALISM
When South Africa opened a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 29 December 2023, accusing Israel of committing acts of g*nocide in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, the US opposed the case and continued its political and military support for Israel. South Africa says Israel has violated the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
On 23 January 2025, South Africa's land expropriation law was signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, allowing for limited cases of land expropriation to remedy the inequity that remains decades after dismantling apartheid.
When South Africa opened a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 29 December 2023, accusing Israel of committing acts of g*nocide in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, the US opposed the case and continued its political and military support for Israel. South Africa says Israel has violated the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
On 23 January 2025, South Africa's land expropriation law was signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, allowing for limited cases of land expropriation to remedy the inequity that remains decades after dismantling apartheid.
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Continued………Today, the white South African minority holds over 70 per cent of private farmland. In response, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February halting aid to South Africa. US politicians also regurgitated the unfounded claim that white supremacist groups in South Africa have repeated a so-called white genocide.
Many, including Julius Malema (@julius.malema.sello on IG, @julius_s_malema on X), president of the Economic Freedom Fighters (@effsouthafrica), have said US allegations are nothing but a punitive measure against South Africa for daring to bring legal actions against Israel at the ICJ.
In this clip from his conversation with BreakThrough News (@btnewsroom on X) hosts @EugenePuryear (on X) and @raniakhalek (on X), Thapelo Mohapi, General Secretary of South Africa's pro-democracy and land reclamation grassroots movement of over 150,000 shack dwellers, the Abahlali BasMjondolo (@abahlalibasemjondolo on IG and @abahlalibM on X), unpacks the claims.
Video credit: @btnewsroom (YouTube)
Sources
https://www.eui.eu/events?id=567397
https://www.gov.za/news/media-statements/president-cyril-ramaphosa-assents-expropriation-bill-23-jan-2025
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg9w4n6gp5o
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/01/south-africas-genocide-case-against-israel-international-court-justice-explained
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/imposing-sanctions-on-the-international-criminal-court
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/aid-trump-south-africa
https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/south-africa-trump-cuts-aid/
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-03-06-trumps-us-is-punishing-sa-for-supporting-palestine-against-apartheid-israel-says-malema/
Many, including Julius Malema (@julius.malema.sello on IG, @julius_s_malema on X), president of the Economic Freedom Fighters (@effsouthafrica), have said US allegations are nothing but a punitive measure against South Africa for daring to bring legal actions against Israel at the ICJ.
In this clip from his conversation with BreakThrough News (@btnewsroom on X) hosts @EugenePuryear (on X) and @raniakhalek (on X), Thapelo Mohapi, General Secretary of South Africa's pro-democracy and land reclamation grassroots movement of over 150,000 shack dwellers, the Abahlali BasMjondolo (@abahlalibasemjondolo on IG and @abahlalibM on X), unpacks the claims.
Video credit: @btnewsroom (YouTube)
Sources
https://www.eui.eu/events?id=567397
https://www.gov.za/news/media-statements/president-cyril-ramaphosa-assents-expropriation-bill-23-jan-2025
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg9w4n6gp5o
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/01/south-africas-genocide-case-against-israel-international-court-justice-explained
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/imposing-sanctions-on-the-international-criminal-court
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/aid-trump-south-africa
https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/south-africa-trump-cuts-aid/
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-03-06-trumps-us-is-punishing-sa-for-supporting-palestine-against-apartheid-israel-says-malema/
European University Institute
The significance of the ICJ South Africa v. Israel Case
The EUI
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PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PALESTINIAN POET SCHOOLS JOURNO
You wouldn't normally criticise a talented poet on which words to use, especially if he had just won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary. Yet, that's what MSNBC journalist Catherine Rampell did with Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha (@mosab_abutoha on IG).
Rampell claimed Toha's criticism of Western media was controversial because he called out Israelis being referred to as ‘hostages’ while Palestinians are called ‘prisoners.’
What ensued was a masterful response from the 32-year-old Palestinian poet. In explaining how the Israeli military has inflicted violence on him and his family, Toha exposed the media's attempt to dehumanise Palestinians and delegitimise their suffering to justify the Western-backed 77-year occupation of their land.
You wouldn't normally criticise a talented poet on which words to use, especially if he had just won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary. Yet, that's what MSNBC journalist Catherine Rampell did with Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha (@mosab_abutoha on IG).
Rampell claimed Toha's criticism of Western media was controversial because he called out Israelis being referred to as ‘hostages’ while Palestinians are called ‘prisoners.’
What ensued was a masterful response from the 32-year-old Palestinian poet. In explaining how the Israeli military has inflicted violence on him and his family, Toha exposed the media's attempt to dehumanise Palestinians and delegitimise their suffering to justify the Western-backed 77-year occupation of their land.
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