WHY
IS THE CHURCH ASKING FORGIVENESS? *** The Holy Spirit always breathes new life into the Church of Jesus Christ. We may understand her recent move: a request for forgiveness.
In the same manner, governments ask pardon for past
mistakes against the First Nations, the Blacks, the
respect of women. Take, for example, the attitude
of the Prime Minister of Britain who asks for forgiveness
for the suffering endured by the Irish during the great
famine of the 19th Century. Let us listen to the
apologies given by the white government of South Africa
in regards to the apartheid, etc. We must not
‘anesthetize’ the memories. It would be
damaging to the present generation, approving
subconsciously the errors and the mistakes of the past.
We are, in some way, co-responsible for our heritage. John Paul II wanted the Church to make an examination of conscience for the new millennium. He wanted the Church to recognize her historical faults and ask pardon for the participation of some of her members in the tragedies of history: the Inquisitions, the schisms, the religious wars, the crusades, the slavery, the sufferings of the Indians, the Jews, women; and even in regard to individuals such as Galileo.
On September 10th, 1984, the Pope addressed himself to
the native people at Saint Anne de Beaupre: “Your
encounter with the Gospel not only has enriched you, but
has enriched the Church. We know well that this has
not been without difficulty, and sometimes not even
without clumsiness”.
The same Pope said in the Czech Republic, May 1995, in
speaking of the religious wars: “Today, I, the Pope
of the Church of Rome, in the name of all Catholics, ask
pardon for all the wrongs that have been inflicted upon
non-Catholics in the course of their turbulent
history”. Although both sides can share some
blame, the Catholic Church recognizes the errors of
certain of her members. Such an attitude does not please all members of the Church. Some fear a negative image of the Church that will be the amusement of the atheists; the numerous fruits of sanctity throughout history seem to be forgotten. Aware of the facts of history and without forgetting the socio-cultural context of the time, the Pope’s actions open doors to ecumenism and help the members of the Church to renounce wrongdoings, to better live the Gospel and to do works of evangelization. All humans sin against love. Christian men and women occasionally deviate from the Gospel. They do not always reflect the face of God. All the same, let us not forget the mass of martyrs and those millions of Christian men and women who have suffered and continue to suffer every day while protesting against injustice in our world. |