The Doctrine of Discovery is rooted in a series of papal bulls issued in the 15th century, which provided religious authority for Christian empires to invade and subjugate non-Christian lands, peoples, and sovereign nations. Among these, two papal bulls are particularly significant:

• Inter Caetera (1493): Issued by Pope Alexander VI, this bull granted Spain the right to possess all lands discovered or yet to be discovered west of a line 100 leagues west of the Azores and Cape Verde Islands. It aimed to justify Christian European explorers’ claims on land and waterways they allegedly discovered, promoting Christian domination and superiority. This doctrine has been applied in various regions, including Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas.

• Romanus Pontifex (1455): Issued by Pope Nicholas V, this bull granted Portugal the right to invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens and pagans. It provided religious backing for the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity.

In March 2023, the Vatican officially repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, acknowledging that the papal bulls on which the doctrine is based did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of indigenous peoples. However, the statement did not rescind the papal bulls themselves.