Pope Leo XIV Apologizes in Zaña for 100,000 Enslaved Africans

ZAÑA, Peru, Pope Leo XIV addressed the legacy of the African slave trade on Saturday in Zaña, a UNESCO-recognized memorial site in the northern Peruvian province of Chiclayo. The visit marked a public show of remorse from the U.S.-born pontiff, who previously apologized in a written document for the Vatican's historical role in legitimizing the enslavement of Africans in the Americas.

Leo spoke to a gathered community, acknowledging that the town preserves the memory of generations torn from their homes. He stated that many of these ancestors endured great suffering and humiliation. The pope, whose own family history includes enslaved people and slave owners, expressed affection and closeness to the Afro-Peruvian residents present at the event.

Zaña holds a specific place in the pope's personal history. It is part of his former diocese, and he frequently visited the town before his election as pope. He prayed at the sanctuary of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, a 16th-century archbishop who denounced abuses against Indigenous and enslaved people by Spanish colonizers. Leo has cited Mogrovejo as a model for his own ministry.

During his remarks, Leo addressed contemporary challenges facing the community, including crime, extortion, and insecurity. He said he was pained by the fear experienced by residents and those whose honest labor is under threat. The pope asked the Lord to grant the community the peace they deeply need, holding them in his prayers.

Historical records indicate that an estimated 100,000 African slaves were brought to Peru after the arrival of Spanish conquistadores. These individuals toiled in sugar plantations and silver mines, with some becoming urban artisans. At one point, they and their descendants made up more than 40% of Lima's population. The 2017 national census recorded 1,311 residents in Zaña who identified as Afro-Peruvian, a small fraction of the 78,639 identified across the entire Lambayeque region.

Susana Baca, an Afro-Peruvian singer and former cabinet minister, performed for the pope upon his arrival in Lima. Baca, who is known for her advocacy against discrimination, told the Associated Press that she feels a connection to Leo because of his emphasis on forgiveness. She noted that the Afro-Peruvian people have learned to forgive despite a history of suffering.

Local residents in Zaña celebrated the pope's visit. Felipe Gutierrez, a local chef and poet, expressed pride in seeing an Afro-Peruvian artist perform for a pope with Black ancestors. All four of Leo's maternal great-grandparents were listed as free people of color in 19th-century Louisiana census records.