Vatican City - The Catholic church has confessed to neglect and mistrust of the world's 20 million Gypsies, and vowed to increase its work among them.
In a policy document titled Pastoral Orientation for Gypsies, released this week, the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples said this neglect had contributed to discrimination.
"With some praiseworthy and sometimes courageous exceptions, the church played a role in the distrustful attitude towards the Gypsy population," the document states.
"Considered by many as harmful aliens and insistent beggars, public opinion usually clamours for nomadism to be banned. Throughout history this has resulted in persecutions."
Historians believe the Nazis killed about 500,000 Gypsies in World War II.
In 1997, Pope John Paul beatified a Gypsy who had been shot by firing squad during the Spanish Civil War - the first Gypsy put in line for sainthood.
About 15 million Gypsies are believed to have come to Europe from India 1000 years ago, and with the relaxing of Europe's national borders are gradually migrating westwards.