Pope doesn't admit guilt

Benedict XVI:  Reflections on the pope's visit to AmericaOthers said the pope seemed to be casting blame on early American colonists without taking responsibility for historical actions taken against American Indians by the Catholic Church and other Christian religious leaders during the so-called New World era.

"In one sense, what the pope said was right on," said Robert Miller, a professor of law at the Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Ore. "But on the other hand, it totally ignores the history of the church and its historic role in colonization."

"His comments could lead one to believe that the Holy See's historical legacy had nothing to do with the injustices he referred to," said Steven Newcomb, co-director of the Indigenous Law Institute and author of the new book, "Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Those Evil European Invaders.