Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged "injustices" against indigenous people in the name of Christianity but refused to apologize for remarks that have outraged Indian leaders from North, Central and South America.

In remarks in Vatican City, the Pope said the Catholic Church can't ignore wrongdoing in Latin America. "It is not possible, indeed, to forget the sufferings and injustices inflicted by colonizers on the indigenous populations, whose fundamental human rights were often trampled on," he said.

The remarks come after the Pope's visit to Brazil. On May 13, he said indigenous people in Latin America welcomed Europeans because they were "silently longing" for Christianity.

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Pope recognizes colonial injustices (The Los Angeles Times 5/24)
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Pope: Injustices Done in Colonization (AP 5/23)
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Pope acknowledges colonial injustices in Americas (Reuters 5/23)

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