A recent history of the Vatican's apologies... What does Pope Francesco's apology mean for harming indigenous peoples?

In early April, Pope Francesco apologized to a delegation of indigenous communities representing the peoples of "Metis", "Inuit", "First", "Mulatto" and others, recognizing the damage done to boarding schools in Canada, marking a decisive step in the Church's recognition of its role in Abuse of indigenous communities and children.

And earlier last year, the bishops of the Catholic Church in Canada apologized to the indigenous people after finding - in August 2021 - more than a thousand graves near boarding schools. It was committed by some members of the Catholic community.

Canadian historians say that between 1883 and 1996, about 150,000 Aboriginal children - specifically American Indians, Mulattos and Inuit people - were forced to "assimilate and perceive" the white community in Canada, and were forcibly separated from their families, language and culture, and placed in 139 of these boarding schools in All over the country in order to impregnate them with the prevailing culture.

Many of them were mistreated or sexually assaulted, and more than 4,000 people died in those schools, according to the commission of inquiry, which concluded that what happened was a real "cultural genocide".

It is noteworthy that these schools were under the supervision of the Catholic Church, and these educational institutions remained open until the beginning of the seventies of the last century.

Meaning of apology

In an article published by the Australian website The Conversation, Georgetown University academic Annie Slack said that as a Catholic theologian who studies the authority of the church, she has noticed how past papal apologies can speak on behalf of the entire church, either denying its responsibility or acknowledge it.

The writer talked about the developments of papal apologies, and said that it was unreasonable for the Pope to apologize earlier, because that means that the church was wrong.

However, the writer added that the Second Vatican Council - which was held between 1962 and 1965, and issued a number of decisions and decrees to complete what the First Council had stopped accomplishing after the fall of Rome to the revolutionaries in 1870 - changed the Church's perspective on change and instituted major reforms.

The Second Council opened the door to admitting the error, as Pope John Paul II apologized for the many previous errors of the Church by declaring March 12, 2000 "the Day of Pardon", where he said in that document that "the Church today, through the successor of Peter (the Pope), names It proclaims and admits the errors of Christians in every age,” which sent a signal that the papal apologies on behalf of the entire Church, beyond the personal responsibility of the present Pope.

Papal Apologies

The writer explained that only a year before that statement, the International Theological Commission stated that in the entire history of the Church there are no precedents for papal apologies for past mistakes, so this apology set a new and important precedent, and papal apologies are based on the understanding that the Pope is the leader of the one Apostolic Church, Holy, Catholic, associated with tradition through the ages, which means that the Pope can apologize for an event in the past, when he was not the Pope, or perhaps not yet born, because the church of a thousand years ago is associated with today.

The writer shows that when the Pope apologizes, the apology often addresses the feelings of the victims, but fails to hold the church responsible. Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the pain of victims of sexual abuse in 2008, expressed his deep regret for the pain and suffering endured by the victims, and asserted that, as a priest To them, he also shares their suffering.

However, Benedict XVI often refrains from apologizing for the church's cover-up, so the church's lack of acknowledgment of error and cover-up makes these apologies mere expressions of regret without responsibility and accountability.

The writer touched on the apologies of Pope Francesco, who often admitted the mistakes of the church, such as his apology in 2015 for the grave sins of colonialism in the Americas, where Francesco spoke in that apology in the name of the entire church, although the colonial acts began several centuries ago, and confirmed this apology The universal nature of the church.

The writer emphasized that, from her point of view, she considers that Francesco’s apology regarding boarding schools represents a dividing line between previous general and specific apologies, as he put a distance between him and the members of the Catholic Church responsible for the abuse, by saying, “Regarding the unfortunate behavior of these members of the Catholic Church, I ask God’s forgiveness And I want to tell you with all my heart, I'm so sorry."

The writer stressed that although there are those who say that actions are more important than words and that papal apologies are hollow without corresponding actions, she believes that it is also important to realize that the apology is an act in itself, for the actions of a world leader such as the Pope are important, and it is known that apologies are a step in The path of restorative justice, as she put it.

The writer points out that the papal apologies may not say everything, but they do say something important. As head of the Roman Catholic Church and a world leader, the Pope apologizes both to the Church and on behalf of the Church to the world. These apologies are necessary starting points on the path to tolerance and healing, according to the writer.