Rwanda: Catholic bishops apologize for role in genocide

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Updated 7:52 pm, Sunday, November 20, 2016


KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — The Catholic Church in Rwanda apologized on Sunday for the church's role in the 1994 genocide, saying it regretted the actions of those who participated in the massacres.

"We apologize for all the wrongs the church committed. We apologize on behalf of all Christians for all forms of wrongs we committed. We regret that church members violated (their) oath of allegiance to God's commandments," said the statement by the Conference of Catholic Bishops, which was read out in parishes across the country.

The statement acknowledged that church members planned, aided and executed the genocide, in which over 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists.

. . .

Many of the victims died at the hands of priests, clergymen and nuns, according to some accounts by survivors, and the Rwandan government says many died in the churches where they had sought refuge.



Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Rwanda-Catholic-bishops-apologize-for-role-in-10626544.php

[LuckyLib]

1. One of a host of crimes the church should apologize for.

[Equinox Moon]

2. Mass zombie hysteria

[CanonRay]

3. How, exactly, does one apologize for genocide?

It's not like you used the wrong fork at dinner.

[shadowmayor]

4. Ooops

Uh sorry about that. WTF?

[rusty quoin]

5. Well I won't look to them for protection.

The Catholic Church can fuck itself. It's made up of heros and cowards. I see some heroes, but unless the church actually acts like Jesus fuck yo all

[Solly Mack]

6. Someone accidentally bumps into me and apologizes, that's one thing

but genocide? Butchering people with machetes?

An apology isn't even in the ballpark of good enough. Not really on the same planet of good enough.

Just no.

[haele]

7. Cain was cast out of the tribe and forced to wander the earth for the murder of his brother.

There are certain actions that should there not be a mitigating reason - murder and theft - along with other actions that do not have any excuse - extortion and bullying (physical and emotional abuse) - that are disastrous to the survival of any community. These must have a price to be paid, even if the one committing the action is "forgiven" - ritually or by the victim, or these actions will occur again and again. There must be a strong statement by the community that such actions are not acceptable, because they undercut trust within the community and will eventually destroy it. You don't have to execute those actors, but they need to earn their way back into the community if they understand that what they did was wrong. If they don't, they need to be gone. Prison, exile, whatever...

Acknowledgement isn't enough, because many of those who countenanced serious crimes against those dependent on them are still in sitting pious in their places, going through the same motions - and the rapes, extortion, genocides will happen again and again.

Mea Culpa indeed.

Haele