Rwandan government says Vatican must apologize for Church role in 1994 massacres
November 25, 2016
After the Catholic bishops of Rwanda issued an apology for the role played by Catholics in the genocidal massacres of 1994, the country’s government said that the statement was inadequate, and demanded a formal apology from the Vatican.
The government complained that the bishops’ statement acknowledged the guilt of individual Catholics, but did not admit the involvement of the Church as an institution. The government argued that the “profound inadequacy” of the bishops’ statement “only serves to highlight how far the Catholic Church still remains from a full and honest reckoning with its moral and legal responsibilities.”
The government statement also noted that some priests in Rwanda evidently did not read out the bishops’ message during Mass, as they had been instructed to do, “thus disassociating themselves from even this mild expression of regret.”
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Further information:
- Rwanda demands apology from Vatican, says bishops' sorry inadequate (East African)
- Rwandan bishops beg pardon for Christian involvement in 1994 massacres (CWN, 11/22)
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