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Apologies from the Pope

2008 July 21
tags: , , ,
by sfcg

 

On Sunday, the last day of his visit to Australia, Pope Benedict XVI held a private mass for victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests, reports Al Jazeera.  The character of the mass, when coupled with the Pope’s similar message during his April visit to the United States, suggests that reconciliation between the Church and those it victimized is more than a theme for this papacy – it is a dedicated mission.

 

It was John Paul II that showed the merit of apologizing for the Church’s grave errors.  Understanding that to be Catholic was to own its collective history, John Paul II expressed his remorse for the Church’s entire 2000-year legacy of violence against dissidents and minorities.  Benedict, it would seem, is following the former Pope’s lead in espousing the Catholic tenet of forgiving – and asking for forgiveness.

 

This practice of publicly saying sorry for sins committed by ancestors is not exclusively Catholic.  Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper asked for the forgiveness of native Canadians abused during the controversial residential schools program.  However, at the same time, nor is the program universally well received.  While some argue that public apologies help to reopen and bring attention to painful, often overlooked periods of history, others insist that governments and institutions offering such apologies are trying to simply clean their hands of wrongdoing.  The reason Truth and Reconciliation Commissions are effective is because the actual perpetrators of violence confront their victims. 

 

In short, is it possible to achieve true reconciliation through these sweeping public apologies?

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2 Responses
  1. Ian permalink
    July 24, 2008

    ‘True reconciliation’ may never be achieved in such situations, however public acknowledgment of fault is always better than sweeping past problems and animosities under the rug. This acknowledgment is important because it shows sincerity and willingness to address problems, to make amends and to move on.

  2. lzn2 permalink
    July 24, 2008

    I live in Washington, DC, and work downtown. Every day, there is an aging man roaming around the Hill with a sign that reads: “Vatican Hides Pedophiles.” He hands out fact sheets on the recent history of sexual abuse in the Church.

    I don’t know what motivates him to spend nearly all of his time doing this, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to guess. But I would guess that whatever it is that motivates him won’t be changed by the Pope saying “sorry.” No matter how many times he says it, no matter how many masses gives for victims, no matter how sincere the Church’s apology.

    At the same time, I don’t know what more the Pope (and Church) should do. They are recognizing their faults and admitting mistakes.

    I guess time is the best healer, right?

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