Rhea, The Doctrine of Discovery filled in a lot of blanks for me too.

NOTE: For those who might want to think, or believe, the Doctrine of Discovery was in the past, take note.

530 years after the DOD was issued, the Vatican (Pope Francis) finally, at long last, repudiated it.

One March 2023 Repudiation… Joint Statement of the Dicasteries for Culture and Education and for Promoting Integral Human Development on the Doctrine of Discovery.

• “The “doctrine of discovery” is not part of the teaching of the Catholic Church. Historical research clearly demonstrates that the papal documents in question, written in a specific historical period and linked to political questions, have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith. At the same time, the Church acknowledges that these papal bulls did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of indigenous peoples. The Church is also aware that the contents of these documents were manipulated for political purposes by competing colonial powers in order to justify immoral acts against indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesiastical authorities.”

• “Furthermore, Pope Francis has urged: “Never again can the Christian community allow itself to be infected by the idea that one culture is superior to others, or that it is legitimate to employ ways of coercing others.”

https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2023/03/30/230330b.html