The Facts on Catholic EVILs...Re: "Boy's Club" - and you still want respect?

Pope prays for forgiveness for sins of Catholic Church
March 12, 2000
Web posted at: 9:40 p.m. EST (0240 GMT)


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In this story:

Sins against Jews

7 categories of sin

Women and minorities

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From staff and wire reports

VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II on Sunday asked for forgiveness for many of his church's past sins, including its treatment of Jews, heretics, women and native peoples.

It was believed to be the first time in the history of the Catholic Church that one of its leaders sought such a sweeping pardon.

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CNN's Jerrold Kessel reports on responses in Israel to the pope's prayer for brotherhood.
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CNN's Jim Bittermann reports that never before the pope's homily Sunday has the Vatican repented for such a broad range of errors committed in its name.
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Expectations high for papal apology on Israel visit




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Dressed in the purple vestments of Lenten mourning, the 79-year-old pope addressed an audience at St Peter's Basilica on the Catholic Church's "Day of Forgiveness" for the 2000 Holy Year. He and his top cardinals grouped the past sins of their church into seven categories.

"We forgive and we ask for forgiveness," the pope said in a clear voice.

The pope's homily did not name groups or historical events, but prayers during the Mass were more specific. On behalf of the church, five Vatican cardinals and two bishops made a confession of sin, with a response from the pope.

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls had said last week that the pope would ask "pardon from God," not from individual groups who have been wronged.

Sins against Jews
Jewish groups had voiced hope that the pope would use the Day of Forgiveness to expand on the church's condemnations of Catholic treatment of Jews -- particularly during the Holocaust, in which the Nazis killed 6 million Jews.

But no speaker mentioned the Holocaust.

Cardinal Edward Cassidy read the prayer for forgiveness for sins against Jews, saying: "Christians will acknowledge the sins committed by not a few of their number against the people of the covenant."

"We are deeply saddened by the behavior of those who in the course of history have caused these children of yours to suffer, and asking your forgiveness we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood," the pope responded.

Rabbi David Rosen, head of the Jerusalem office of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, told Reuters the inclusion of a request for forgiveness from Jews in a Roman Catholic liturgy in St Peter's was "a significant step."

In 1998, the Vatican apologized for Catholics who had failed to help save Jews from Nazi persecution and acknowledged centuries of preaching contempt for Jews.

The pope specifically asked for forgiveness for sins against Israel. He is preparing for a trip to Jerusalem later this month.

7 categories of sin
The pope, bishops and cardinals spoke of seven categories of forgiveness: general sins; sins in the service of truth; against Christian unity; against the Jews; against respect for love, peace and cultures; against the dignity of women and minorities, and against human rights.

"We ask forgiveness for the divisions among Christians, for the use of violence that some Christians used in the service of the truth and for the behavior of diffidence and hostility sometimes used toward followers of other religions," the pope said in his homily before the prayers.

The words "violence in the service of truth" is an often-used reference to the treatment of heretics during the Inquisition, the Crusades and the forced conversions of native peoples.

"For the role that each one of us has had, with his behavior, in these evils, contributing to a disfigurement of the face of the church, we humbly ask forgiveness," he said.

No reference was made to homosexuals, who had asked to be included on the list.

Women and minorities
The prayer for forgiveness from women and minorities said Christians had been "guilty of attitudes of rejection and exclusion, consenting to acts of discrimination on the basis of racial and ethnic differences."

The prayer for forgiveness for human rights abuses said Christians had not recognized Christ in the poor, the persecuted and imprisoned and had too often committed "acts of injustice by trusting in wealth and power."

Referring to abortion, the pope said Christians had not defended the defenseless, "especially in the first stages of life."

The pope said Christians had "violated the rights of ethnic groups and peoples and shown contempt for their cultures and religious traditions." A prayer mentioned sins against gypsies.

The pope often has said Catholics should start the new millennium by seeking forgiveness for past sins, including those of the church. He calls this a "purification of memory" necessary for the church to move forward.

The pope also said Christians were ready to forgive others for abuse suffered by Christians over the centuries.

Correspondent Jim Bittermann, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Remember, this does NOT include his apology for the NAZI murders/collusion of the Vatican, and the 150 million bloody deaths attributed to the Catholic Vatican or Institution, as mentioned in the second link below -

http://www.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/03/12/pope.apology.02/index.html

http://www.remnantofgod.org/nl000327.htm

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