Many Americans think of slavery as their nation’s original sin. But in truth, slavery has involved peoples and cultures and countries far beyond the United States. Slavery is as old as human history itself.

And yet, the one living institution that has condemned slavery longer and more consistently than any other is the Roman Catholic Church.

In The Worst of Indignities: The Catholic Church on Slavery, bestselling author Paul Kengor shines a light on:

• The record and biblical roots of the Church’s teaching on slavery
• The efforts of individuals and institutions within the Church to not only bring about freedom for enslaved people but to care for their physical and spiritual needs
• The stories of former slaves whose lives of exemplary holiness have placed them on the path of sainthood

At a time when race relations are so bitter, we need the clarifying truth to unite us all. The story of the Roman Catholic Church’s bold and divine opposition to slavery is one unknown to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. It is time for that story to be told.