A group led by the Chicago Chapter of N’COBRA – the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, who refer to themselves as Reparations Enforcers, met in front of St. Sabina Church yesterday, not as an attack on Father Pfleger, but to challenge Blacks Catholics and other Catholics to support the call for reparations.

Out of respect, the group waited until the Pope left the country and they appreciate him raising the conversation about reparations, but explained that they seek to ensure that the conversation does not end with his few words on the subject.

“We are not here to cast in dispersion, confront or attack the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, or the Catholic community in US, Chicago, or world-wide –Black, white, Hispanic or other. We are here to tell the truth and, again, call for action that would assist in the repair of African peoplehood globally,” said Kamm Howard, Midwest Region Chair of N’COBRA.

“Let us begin by indicating that we were pleased that Pope Francis evoked the memory and spirit of our great ancestor, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr during one of his addresses. And I quote Pope Francis, “To use a telling phrase of the Reverend Martin Luther King, we can say that we have defaulted on a promissory note and now is the time to honor it.”

“In invoking Dr. King’s spirit, with this particular statement, Pope Francis has opened the door to the discussion on reparations. As we know, Dr. King made this statement in the context of calling for reparations or reparatory justice in America. Since this door was cracked by Pope Francis, we would like to open it fully so we can see the depth of the Church’s role in the injury of African people and the fullness of Its obligation to join in our repair,” he added.

The group addressed what they hold were major omission in the various addresses delivered by Pope Francis on his U.S. visit in relation to the African descendant population in America.

The group called attention to the fact that the Roman Catholic Church:

Ordered the destruction of African nations, the genocide of Native nations and the enslavement of Africans and their descendants;

Specifically, beginning in 1411 and 1430 Pope Martin V issued two papal bulls said to have created and established the international slave trade. Ordering the Portuguese to go into Africa ignoring all laws of sovereignty and divine rights and invade, plunder and reduce its inhabitants to perpetual slavery. His successor, Pope Eugene IV, ratified his orders in 1438, extending to Spain the same mission in what would become the Americas.

In 1452, Pope Nicholas V wrote in a separate edict for Spain ordering and granting

“free and ample faculty to invade, search out, expunge, vanquish and subdue all pagans and enemies of Christ whosoever placed, and their persons to reduce to perpetual slavery, and all their kingdoms, possessions and goods to apply and appropriate, …

In 1458, his successor, Pope Calixtus III, continued this grant to Spain and Portugal.

Papal Bulls of 1492 and 1493 authorized the Monarchs to “Invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue” all and appropriate and “goods whatsoever held and possessed by them and to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery.”

Finally 1537, Pope Paul III abolished the enslavement of indigenous peoples in the Americas, denying the humanity of Africans and setting in motion the brutal enslavement of Africans and people of African descent that continued for more than 350 years after.

Inaugurated the racial hatred and racial structuring of the world that has Africans and African descendants on the bottom of humanity in the areas of recognition of the value of their humanity and the safety and respect of their persons and property; and

Has and is benefiting the most from the crimes against African humanity that the Church’s orders and actions produced. (The Roman Catholic Church is the wealthiest corporation/institution in the world and the largest land owner in the world.)

“At a time when there is a global movement developing that calls for the full recognition of African life – a movement most visibly in America with the #Black Lives Matter initiative, and globally with the call from the United Nations for nations to commit a decade of emphasis on the issues facing people of African descent – for the Pope to come here and fail to apologize for its leading role in characterizing African-Black life as valueless, is unacceptable,” Kamm Howard, Midwest Region Chair of N’COBRA.

Now, the Church’s obligation. With the Church’s history described above, in addition to its global position, and at a time when Black life is being extinguished in America in epidemic numbers, it is of grave importance that Pope Francis specifically address this history and the need for America and American Catholics and their institutions to focus their attention and resources on these conditions of African descendants. Therefore, we calling all religious and spiritual people to stand with us as we call upon Pope Francis and the Roman Catholic Church to