Pope Leo XIV recalls 'great suffering' at historic slave trade shrine in Angola

Lead

Pope Leo XIV travelled to Angola’s Sanctuary of Mama Muxima on Sunday, a site steeped in the history of the transatlantic slave trade, where he prayed and addressed an estimated 30,000 people. The visit, part of his broader African tour, carried deep historical resonance, as the shrine stands where thousands of enslaved Africans were once gathered before being forced to walk to the coast.

Speaking in Portuguese, the Pope recalled what he described as centuries of “sorrow and great suffering” in the country’s history, but he did not explicitly refer to slavery during his public remarks.

Background: The Sanctuary’s Painful Legacy

The Church of Our Lady of Muxima, a whitewashed structure with blue trim and a statue of the Madonna, was originally built by Portuguese colonisers in the late 16th century as part of a fortress complex. Over time, it became a hub in the slave trade: enslaved Africans were brought to the site to be baptised before being marched over 110 kilometres (70 miles) north to the port of Luanda, from where they were shipped to the Americas.

Historical records, as cited by multiple reports, indicate that more than five million people left Angola through such routes during the centuries of the transatlantic slave trade. The sanctuary’s location along the Kwanza River made it a strategic point for colonial powers, and its religious role became intertwined with the brutal commerce in human lives.

The site later became a major Catholic pilgrimage destination, particularly after reports of an apparition of the Virgin Mary around 1833. Today, it draws worshippers from across Angola and beyond, but its history remains a painful chapter for many.

The Pope’s Remarks and Symbolism

During his visit, Pope Leo prayed the Rosary inside the church and later viewed plans for the construction of a basilica at the site. Addressing the crowd outside, he urged them to build more than physical structures: “a better, more welcoming world, where there are no more wars, no injustices, no poverty, no dishonesty.”

His comments, delivered in Portuguese, stopped short of directly mentioning slavery. According to observers, the omission was notable given the location and the Church’s historical entanglement with the slave trade. Some analysts suggest the Pope’s language was deliberately careful, balancing acknowledgment of past suffering with a forward-looking message of reconciliation.

Significantly, Pope Leo’s own family history includes enslaved ancestors as well as slave owners, a personal connection that adds nuance to his position. Reports note that this background has informed some of his previous statements on racial justice and historical wrongs.

Historical Context: The Church and Slavery

The Catholic Church’s role in the transatlantic slave trade has been a subject of growing scrutiny in recent years. Scholars have pointed to the baptisms performed at sites like Mama Muxima as evidence of the Church’s complicity in legitimising the enslavement of Africans. While some clergy opposed slavery, institutional support for colonial enterprises was widespread.

In 2023, the Vatican formally repudiated the so-called Doctrine of Discovery, a set of 15th-century papal bulls that were used to justify the colonisation of non-Christian lands. That move was widely seen as a step toward acknowledging the Church’s historical role in colonial abuses, but many advocates argue that a fuller reckoning is still pending.

The visit to Mama Muxima, therefore, carried symbolic weight beyond a routine pastoral stop. It came at a time when debates over historical memory, reparations, and the Church’s moral authority are gaining traction across Africa and the Americas.

Mixed Reactions and Interpretations

Reactions to the Pope’s visit have been varied. Some Angolans welcomed the gesture as a sign of solidarity with communities still grappling with the legacies of slavery and colonialism. Others expressed disappointment that the Pope did not directly address the institution of slavery or issue an explicit apology, which they felt the occasion demanded.

Local clergy and community leaders, however, emphasised the importance of the visit itself. For many, the presence of a pope at such a site signals a willingness to confront difficult history, even if the language remains cautious. The proposed basilica, they note, could serve as a place of remembrance and healing, rather than merely a place of worship.

Scholars have also pointed to the irony of building a grand church at a site where forced baptisms once occurred. The juxtaposition, they argue, highlights the complex legacy of Christianity in Africa—simultaneously a source of spiritual comfort and a reminder of past abuses.

Looking Ahead

The Pope’s visit to Mama Muxima is part of a broader tour of Africa, a region where the Catholic Church is growing rapidly. The trip reflects the Vatican’s efforts to engage with the continent’s realities, including poverty, conflict, and the lingering effects of colonialism.

Whether the visit will lead to further official acknowledgments or concrete actions remains uncertain. But for now, the image of a pope praying at a slave-trade shrine has added a new chapter to the ongoing conversation about faith, history, and justice.

As one observer put it, the silence on the word “slavery” was as loud as the prayers offered inside those walls. The full reckoning, many believe, is still to come.