Vatican issues statement repudiating concept of “Doctrine of Discovery”, Canadian Bishops Respond

The Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development have issued a Joint Statement addressing the concept of “Doctrine of Discovery”, including the question of certain papal bulls of the 15^th century. This has been a significant point of dialogue with Indigenous Peoples of this land as we continue our journey of healing and reconciliation.

The Vatican statement can be found here.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (“CCCB”) provided a response to the Vatican document which can be found here.

We pray that these developments can assist in the ongoing journey of walking together towards healing, reconciliation and hope.