Rejection of Catholic conquest and 'white supremacy' law not enough: advocate

Sunday, 2 April 2023

He begged for forgiveness for the Catholic Church’s role in what he called “evil”.

The Vatican's rejection of a 15th century policy, which allowed the 'conquest, colonisation and subjugation' of indigenous people including Māori, is being seen as a small start on a long road of amends.

The so-called Doctrine of Discovery was a series of papal declarations in the 1400s that the Canadian Museum for Human Rights said “provided religious authority for Christian empires to invade and subjugate non‐Christian lands, peoples and sovereign nations, impose Christianity on these populations, and claim their resources”.

The Vatican on Thursday repudiated the doctrine. Pope Francis was quoted in a press statement: “Never again can the Christian community allow itself to be infected by the idea that one culture is superior to others, or that it is legitimate to employ ways of coercing others.”

Aotearoa indigenous rights advocate Tina Ngata said in 2018 the doctrine put New Zealand 'a step behind in realising indigenous people' because it went 'against human rights in the global community'.

* Human Rights Commission calls for government to commit to co-governance

Indigenous rights advocate Tina Ngata wants the Vatican to go further.

* 'Being homosexual isn't a crime': Pope Francis criticises laws that criminalise homosexuality

Following the news, Ngata said the Vatican was trying to distance itself from the doctrine.

Pope Francis: ‘Never again can the Christian community allow itself to be infected by the idea that one culture is superior to others’.

”What we really want is for them to take ownership of the impacts of the doctrine and work to reverse the ideology of white supremacy it initiated,” she said.

“The Crown here in Aotearoa also needs to reject the doctrine and remove its application in our legal frameworks.”

Taranaki Whānui chairperson Kara Puketapu-Dentice said it was a “good first step”.

Taranaki Whānui would be working with the Catholic archdiocese in Wellington “as we seek to give meaning to the words”, including looking at returning Catholic lands to Māori.

This included St Mary of the Angels on Boulcott St, within the Te Aro Pā area, and St Patrick’s College in Upper Hutt, the site of a former pā.

He hoped the New Zealand government was paying heed to the change, and would take action including updating the education curriculum.

Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission indigenous rights governance partner Claire Charters said the rejection showed the Vatican was finally acknowledging its legacy of racism and dispossession of indigenous people, including Māori.

“The Doctrine of Discovery underpinned the idea that indigenous peoples were not human and thus European powers were free to colonise perceived empty territories.

“It is a racist doctrine and a source of inequality that Māori continue to experience today.”

The doctrine gave rationale for the conquest, colonisation and subjugation of indigenous people and land seizures, she said.

“The Doctrine of Discovery is the only basis on which the Crown could claim sovereignty in 1840 [the signing of Tiriti o Waitangi], in the same way that it was used to justify the Crown's sovereignty in Australia.

“Its impact is felt today in the fact that many Māori are still dispossessed of their whenua, face persistent racism, and inequality – both economically and socially.”