Pope's visit to an African church linked to slavery reflects on his own heritage
AP News
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The pope’s planned visit to a Catholic chapel in Angola that was connected to the slave trade is seen as a symbolic moment by some Africans.
Pope Leo XIV will pray Sunday at the Church of Our Lady of Muxima, where enslaved Africans were baptized before being sent to the coast to be put on ships to the Americas.
More slaves set off from Angola than any other country.
It’s unclear if the first American pope will address slavery on his visit to Africa, but it may still prompt reflections on his own heritage.
Last year, a genealogist discovered that Leo had Black and white ancestors in Louisiana who included both enslaved people and slave owners.
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