Ghana welcomes Pope's apology over Catholic Church's role in slavery

The West African nation was one of the main gateways for the transatlantic slave trade.

The Government of Ghana has welcomed Pope Leo XIV's historic apology for the Vatican's role in legitimising the transatlantic slave trade, describing it as an act of 'moral courage' and a step towards historical truth and reconciliation.

Pope Leo XIV has issued a historic apology for the Catholic Church's direct role in enabling and legitimising the transatlantic slave trade, marking a significant departure from previous papal expressions of remorse.

Pope Leo XIV has made a historic apology for the role the Holy See itself played in legitimising slavery, acknowledging both its delay in condemning the practice and its historic involvement in legitimising it.

Pope Leo XIV has acknowledged the Catholic Church’s historical role in slavery and called for restorative justice for communities still affected by past injustices, though he stopped short of explicitly endorsing slave reparations.