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Benedict XVI Acknowledges "Injustices Endured by Native American Peoples" in Mass

By Anonymous

Pope Benedict XVI, in his first papal mass in the United States, acknowledged the injustices faced by Native Americans since the founding of this country when talking about the promise of hope the U.S. has to offer.

"To be sure, this promise was not experienced by all the inhabitants of this land; one thinks of the injustices endured by the Native American peoples and by those brought here forcibly from Africa as slaves," he said.

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) President Joe A. Garcia welcomed the comments and recognition from the Holy Father. "This is an historic moment for Indian Country," said Garcia. "I commend Pope Benedict XVI for making this bold, and very true, statement with the world watching. Native people have suffered greatly since the arrival of European settlers as they were displaced and then later subjected to U.S. government policies of termination and assimilation."

Today, Native Americans face many of the lowest social, economic, and political statistics of any ethnic group in the country. Health care is often better for U.S. Prisoners than for Native Americans. There is an increasing need for public safety on Native lands, education is poorly funded and there is a lack of resources for profitable economic development. "The Pope's statement is a timely reminder that the U.S. government can right its wrongs by supporting Native issues and the well being of our people and our communities," said Garcia. "We really can turn these life necessity issues around with broad support from Congress and the Administration," said NCAI Executive Director Jacqueline Johnson.

"The U.S. Senate has done their part this year by passing the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. Now we just need to U.S. House of Representatives to follow suit and pass the bill immediately so it can get to the President's desk. These papal remarks only reaffirm NCAI's commitment to improving the lives of Indian people and I am confident they will do the same for those making decisions at the highest levels."

Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate estimates that there are between 650,000 and 1 million Native Americans who practice Catholicism, which is roughly a quarter of Native people in the United States.