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Rwanda genocide: Catholic church sorry for role of priests and nuns in killings [View all]
Note: This story is from 2016, but I don't remember seeing it here in the Religion Group. So, here it is again, if I missed it:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/21/rwanda-genocide-catholic-church-sorry-for-role-of-priests-and-nuns-in-killings
Rwanda genocide: Catholic church sorry for role of priests and nuns in killings
The Catholic church in Rwanda apologised 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.
{snip}
The statement acknowledged that church members planned, aided and carried out the genocide, in which more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists.
{snip}
Many of the victims died at the hands of priests, clergymen and nuns, according to some accounts by survivors, and the Rwandan government said many died in the churches where they sought refuge.
The Catholic church in Rwanda apologised 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.
{snip}
The statement acknowledged that church members planned, aided and carried out the genocide, in which more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists.
{snip}
Many of the victims died at the hands of priests, clergymen and nuns, according to some accounts by survivors, and the Rwandan government said many died in the churches where they sought refuge.
An apology just doesn't seem to be enough, in my opinion. Not nearly enough. The indigenous peoples of America suffered similar genocide a few centuries ago, as well. What sort of Christianity perpetrates such horrors? What justification did they find in the Bible for such behavior? Pathetic. The Roman Catholic Church has very much to answer for. I await the Pope's words that assure me that such horrors will not occur again, as they have so often in that Church's history. I do not expect to hear such words, however.
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