Some Black worshippers feel under-represented in the Catholic Church and that it needs to do more to overcome its legacy of racism, they said, after Pope Francis spent recent days telling crowds in Lisbon the Church has room for everyone.
Francis, who has been working to promote inclusivity since the start of his papacy, arrived on Aug. 2 in Lisbon to attend the world's largest"When the pope said 'everyone, everyone, everyone' ...we felt the impact... but we want more than words," said Adani, a Black transgender woman from Brazil who crossed the Atlantic to attend.
Afro-descendant Tamara Braga, 29, was born in one of Rio de Janeiro's slums and said it was important for her group to bring diversity to what she described as a predominantly white event. "The Church has great power to turn the tables," said Braga, who at Saturday's evening vigil with Francis wore a T-shirt saying "Jesus was Black".From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported by European ships and merchants and sold into slavery.
"Our ancestors built these spaces and today we are a minority here," said Vanessa Pitangui, who held a Black Lives Matter sign. "This is a form of resistance and a way of fighting."
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