I am sure there are those out there who hated when Pope Saint John Paul II apologized to many different groups that he felt the Church had offended over the centuries, such as the Jews, the Protestants and others. Saint Pope John Paul II was one who asked for forgiveness of others and for the actions of the institutional Church.
Should not bishops, (including the Bishop of Rome) priests, deacons and religious apologize to those they have offended and sometimes from an institutional corruption, such as the corruption that has fomented the greatest crisis for the Church since the Great Schism and the Protestant Reformation, the abuse of children by clergy and how this was managed by the institutional Church locally and internationally? Yes! Reparation should be made also, especially in the spiritual sense!
So on Monday Pope Francis apologized to Italian Pentecostals and evangelicals for how other Catholics treated them especially during the Fascist period in Italian history of the 20th century.
My Italian mother use to tell us how horrible the Fascists were. She knew first hand in Livorno. In fact to call someone a Fascist was a very derogatory term, a form of name calling. Fascism in Italy had is corollary in Nazism in Germany although the latter more virulent.
Evidently, as a small minority, Protestant evangelicals and pentecostals were very poorly treated in Italy in this period of fascism. I would suspect Catholics in Italy treated them in a similar fashion as Irish Catholics were treated in the late 1800's and early 1900's here in the USA.
Should not the head of the Catholic Church, the pope, apologize for the bad behavior of Catholics? Yes! Indeed His Holiness should and kudos to him for doing so. Who could find fault in that?
15 comments:
In recent decades the Church arguably has treated faithful orthodox Catholics at least as badly as it has ever treated pentecostals? Apology due? With a firm purpose of amendment?
Took the words right out of my mouth Henry.
Henry - There are lots of orthodox Catholics who have not been treated badly in recent decades. I would venture to say that the vast majority of orthodox Catholics have not been treated badly in recent decades.
Now, if you are referring to traditionalist Catholics, that's a different matter.
And yes, those Catholics who do not share your traditionalist views can be and are every bit as orthodox as you.
Let's just issue a blanket apology to all pagans and all heretics. Sorry for converting you or disparaging your sincerely held beliefs. But in the early days of the Church we did not have the wisdom of Vatican II to guide us. Nostra culpa! And sorry for letting ourselves be martyred, which unfairly put blood on your hands. Nostra culpa! And sorry to all those peaceful Muslims we disrupted with the Crusades. You were quite entitled to overrun those ancient centres of Christianity. Nostra culpa!
Unsinn. Quatsch. Deus adjuva nos!
PI, as a faithful and orthodox Vatican II Catholic, I resemble you're vicious accusation of traditionalist views. Wherever did you get such an outlandish impression?
Henry said it best! Still waiting on the apology for the treatment of traditional Catholics and the name calling...Certainly just because we as Catholics have the True Faith doesn't mean we need to be pushy, but that said, Protestantism caused Division, not the other way around.
Can you say, "indifferentism?"
As far as Henry's comments are concerned, I would have to agree that priests have abused the faith, piety and liturgical sensibilities of a more traditional minority of Catholics. I've seen it and I've experienced it, and this abuse involves everything from negligent catechesis to liturgical bullying. Priests are meant to be agents of Christian reconciliation, and so priests must take concrete steps to overcome this history of abuse.
Georgia residents...did you see the "Southern Cross" article today about Steubenville Atlanta 2014 Conference, themed "God is"?
It was obviously a totally Pentecostal event, complete with "a beat boxing priest (?), a comedian, a praise and worship band, a light show complete with bouncy balls and bubbles". There were "2,651 young adults, youth ministers, priests and deacons from around the country who raised their hands and opened their hearts to the love of Jesus". There was also dancing...
The young priests in photos, who seemed to be leading the festivities looked a lot like they might be the post VII young priests who some here seem to be counting on to lead the Church back the good old pre VII days.
How many of you folks were there? How many are on the verge of apoplexy?
This is one apology I am not yet supporting. The logic of the post is that we should apologise for Catholic sinners to people they may have injured who are not Catholic. Being Catholic does not keep from sinning, did the Pope encourage the bad part of the oppression? Should we not work to suppress heresy when we can?
Joe - I am a traditional Catholic, as traditional as anyone here.
What I am not is a traditionalist, and there's a world of difference.
PI, I think the point is that traditionalists, even the SSPX should be treated with the same sensitivity that the Holy Father treats the pentecostals and evnagelicals. And the Holy Fahter's example should filter down to bishops and priests. So I fully expect, that by following the Holy Father's example, you would welcome, coddle and embrace all the traditionalists in Macon and celebrate the EF Mass for them. Afterall, these Catholics are in full communion with the Church and evangelicals and pentecostals aren't. But who wants to split hairs.
PI: "I am a traditional Catholic, as traditional as anyone here."
I appreciate the reassurance that you are as traditional a Catholic as anyone here, (for instance) even me.
But I've frequented traditional Latin Mass circles for many years, and am not sure I've ever met a bogeyman traditionalist of the fearful sort that seems to concern you so passionately (since you so frequently bring up traditionalists when no one else has mentioned them).
However, perhaps you have somewhere spotted one in the flesh, even in presumably safer circles. If you were willing to reveal what experience along the way left you with such a riveting concern, it might be informative and even instructive.
Well, Father, if PI wouldn't allow the EF celebrated in his conservative Augusta parish in a deanery where there was none available, why would he do it in his little progressive parish in Macon where there is an EF available? Zebras can't change their stripes, and old dogs... Well, you know
I have more problems with liberal Catholics than I do with any other religion. They know better and the others don't.
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