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Pope didn't say he's sorry
Read the article / show / issue that provoked me to write a letter and my response below that or go straight to my response
Date Posted on this Site
May 15, 2009
Publication
Kingston Whig-Standard
Publication Date
May 12, 2009
Published Content
Wayne Jones
There was a disappointing, half-hearted initiative from a government leader a couple of weeks ago -- and no, not from Harvey Rosen or Dalton McGuinty or Stephen Harper.
It was the expression of sorrow from the sovereign of Vatican City for the physical and sexual abuse at residential schools. Or, as many media outlets and even aboriginal leaders put it, succinctly but inaccurately, the Pope's apology.
It's not mere semantics to insist that in order for an apology to be considered sincere, it should use the words "apologize" or "sorry," or that it at least indicate that the perpetrator takes responsibility, promises never to act so reprehensively again and makes amends with something more than a token gesture of compensation.
The carefully crafted official statement from the Vatican demonstrates that the Pope knows exactly what an apology is, and he chose words that ensured that this was not one. Here's what he said:
"Given the sufferings that some indigenous children experienced in the Canadian residential school system, the Holy Father expressed his sorrow at the anguish caused by the deplorable conduct of some members of the church and he offered his sympathy and prayerful solidarity. His Holiness emphasized that acts of abuse cannot be tolerated in society. He prayed that all those affected would experience healing, and he encouraged First Nations peoples to continue to move forward with renewed hope."
There is no apology here, just a statement of facts. This is nothing but public relations and is disingenuous at best. It gives the appearance of actually doing or affirming something, but truth and integrity are missing at the core.
The political spin from the Catholic Church th Archbishop James Weisgerber, who said that the Pope "responded without notes, which indicated to me that he knew very well the situation. It was so clear that this was a very important issue for him." This is confusing preparedness with sincerity of feeling: Just because I memorize a text or study a file doesn't mean that I believe strongly in what I am saying.
By all accounts, the Catholic Church played a large role in the abuse in the residential school system, and yet it has taken a longer time than any church or government to issue a statement, and that statement is tepid and doesn't take any real responsibility or demonstrate genuine sorrow. The victims, and the cause of justice, deserved much better.
Wayne Jones has lived in Kingston for more than five years. He is a member of the Whig-Standard's Community Editorial Board.
My Response Letter
Wayne Jones accuses the Pope of "disingenuous" public relations and actions lacking "truth and integrity" in his meeting with Canada's aboriginal leaders.
First Nations leaders present at the meeting disagree.
Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine said "We are very pleased with what we heard from His Holiness. We were hoping for a significant statement on the role of the Catholic Church and the residential school experience. We received that."
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said "This expression of sorrow and regret on the part of Pope Benedict is, in a very significant way, going to contribute to the ongoing healing and reconciliation of our people."
I think Mr. Jones should apologize.
Jason Gennaro
Was my response published?
Yes