Pope denounces ‘suffering and humiliation’ of African enslaved people during Peru visit
AP News reports that Pope Leo XIV, during a 14 November 2026 visit to Zaña, Peru — a UNESCO-recognized memorial site of slavery — denounced the "suffering and humiliation" of African enslaved people, following his encyclical apology for the Holy See's role in legitimizing the slave trade. The article notes the pope's own Creole ancestry of free people of color from Louisiana, Zaña's Afro-Peruvian community and museum, and Susana Baca's serenade for a pope she says emphasizes forgiveness.
