Pope asks forgiveness for church role in Rwanda genocide

[trotsky]

http://religionnews.com/2017/03/20/pope-asks-forgiveness-for-church-role-in-rwanda-genocide/

Pope Francis asked on Monday for forgiveness for the “sins and failings of the Church and its members” during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, saying the violence had “disfigured the face” of the Roman Catholic Church.

In a meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Francis said on Monday (March 20) he hoped his apology would help promote peace in the African country, which was torn apart by genocide in 1994, and contribute to a “purification of memory.”

The Catholic Church in Rwanda last year publicly sought forgiveness for the part played by some of its members, who it said had fanned the ethnic hatred that led to the killings.

Some massacres took place in churches where people who had sought refuge were killed by militias.

This story unfortunately downplays the role the RCC played in that genocide. It wasn't just a few members.

[Girard442]

1. Hate ultimately needs to go away so that life can go on, but...

...for some things, people should be tormented by guilt for the rest of their lives.

This is a harsh, but ultimately constructive lesson learned by atheists: some times it's possible to fuck things up so badly that they can never be fixed. This means that a truly moral person would do their best not to intentionally fuck up in the first place.

[uriel1972]

2. "Disfigured the face" of the RCC...

more like "revealed"...

What exactly is a "Purification of memory"? I am in no mood to forget the "sins" of the RCC even if forgiveness were possible.

I wonder if the families of the slain will forgive?

I wonder what the RCC has done apart from apologise to earn forgiveness?

[Act_of_Reparation]

3. The face of the Church is all this Pope seems interested in.

It's not the face of the Church that keeps landing it in trouble.

[Lordquinton]

4. Begging forgiveness from the dead