2000
The pope apologizes
Pope St John Paul Paul II (1920-2005) made it a hallmark of his pontificate to apologize for sins committed by Christians over the centuries. Among the subjects of his regrets were:
- The conquistadors’ behaviour in Latin America
- The judicial treatment of Galileo
- The sacking of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204
- Christian involvement in the African slave trade
- Failure to do enough to prevent the Jewish Holocaust
- The burning of Jan Hus by the Council of Constance in 1415
On this date in 2000 John Paul gave a homily at the Mass for Pardon in the Vatican during which he implored God’s forgiveness for the faults of all believers.
“We are asking pardon for the divisions among Christians, for the use of violence that some have committed in the service of truth, and for attitudes of mistrust and hostility assumed toward followers of other religions.”
Though no specific groups were named by the pope, cardinals speaking later in the service singled out Jews, gypsies, women and marginalized ethnic groups.