Mayan Civilization: A History From Beginning to End

by Henry Freeman

In early 2016, Pope Francis during his visit to San Cristobal Da Las Casas, Mexico, cited the Popol Vuh and said a few words in one of the native indigenous Maya languages to a crowd during a ceremony that included women chanting hymns in the Chol, Tzotzil, and Tzeltal Mayan languages. According to press reports, the Pope said, “On many occasions, in a systematic and organized way, your people have been misunderstood and excluded from society. Some have considered your values, culture, and traditions to be inferior. Others, intoxicated by power, money and market trends, have stolen your lands or contaminated them. How sad this is. How worthwhile it would be for each of us to examine our conscience and learn to say, ‘Forgive me!’”