Skip to main content

Pope apologises for church's role in Rwanda genocide


Catholic church was accused of being close to Hutu-led government in 1994 when 800,000 mostly Tutsis were killed.
Several Catholic priests as well as nuns were charged with participating in the 1994 genocide [Reuters]
Pope Francis has pleaded for forgiveness for "the sins and failings of the Church and its members" implicated in the 1994 Rwanda genocide that killed about 800,000 people.

The pontiff "conveyed his profound sadness, and that of the Holy See and of the Church, for the genocide against the Tutsi", the Vatican said in a statement following a meeting on Monday between Francis and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
"He implored anew God's forgiveness for the sins and failings of the Church and its members, among whom priests, and religious men and women who succumbed to hatred and violence, betraying their own evangelical mission," it said.
A number of churches became scenes of mass killings during the 100-day rampage, as Hutu militiamen found people seeking refuge there, sometimes turned over by priests, with no way out.
TIMELINE: How Rwanda's genocide unfolded
Francis' pardon plea followed a request from Rwanda in November for the Vatican to apologise for the church's role in the massacres.
Since the genocide, whose victims were mostly from the Tutsi minority, the Catholic Church has been accused of being close to the Hutu government in power in 1994.
Francis, 80, said he hoped "this humble recognition of the failings of that period, which, unfortunately, disfigured the face of the church, may contribute to a 'purification of memory'" and promote "renewed trust".
Rwanda's government indicated it felt the apology did not go far enough, saying the local church was still complicit in protecting the perpetrators of the genocide.
Pope Francis poses with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his wife Jeannette during a private meeting at the Vatican on Monday [EPA]

Convictions and acquittals

Several Catholic priests, as well as nuns and brothers, were charged with participating in the genocide and tried by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and by a Belgian court, leading to some convictions while others were acquitted.
The highest-ranking church official to be tried for genocide was the late bishop Augustin Misago, who was acquitted and freed from prison in June 2000.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jailbreak: FG pledges to relocate correctional centers

  Jailbreak: FG pledges to relocate correctional centers Published   on   April 26, 2024 By   Esther Chisom Tunji-Ojo made the pledge when he visited the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre. DAILY POST recalls that 119 inmates escaped from the prison following a rainstorm that damaged the facility on Wednesday. The minister said it was imperative to relocate a lot of the correctional centres to a more conducive environment. “This facility was built in 1914 to house 250 inmates; before this incident, we had 499. “This is a testimony to what we keep talking about the overcrowding of our correctional centres. “You can look at the environment, it shows that we need to relocate them away from city centres to create better space, better security, and better infrastructure,” he said in a statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Mr Ozoya Imohimi. Tunji-Ojo said the ministry is already working behind the scenes to build a be...
Post a Comment
Read more

FG set to deploy first batch of CNG vehicles ahead of Tinubu's one year in office come 29th May 2024

  FG announce plans to deploy the first batch of CNG Vehicles ahead of first anniversary of Tinubu in office on May 29th 2024. Said N100 billion was allocated to purchase 5,500 CNG vehicles, 100 electric buses, and over 20,000 CNG conversion kits. Deployment of CNG vehicles is parts of FG’s vision to have at least one million natural gas propelled vehicles on the roads by 2027. The Federal Government has announced plans to start the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses and tricycles   for mass transit ahead of Tinubu administration’s first anniversary on May 29th. The move was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Sunday April 21st 2024. According to him, the Federal Government allocated N100 billion last year to purchase 5,500 CNG-powered vehicles (buses and tricycles), 100 electric buses, and over 20,000 CNG conversion kits. The funding, which is part of the N500 billion palliative budget, a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jonathan Opens Up: "Why I Don’t Want To Testify For Metuh"

An application filed by former President Goodluck Jonathan before the Federal High Court in Abuja has revealed further reasons why he wants to be excused from appearing as a witness in defence of a former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh. Metuh is standing trial on charges involving, among others, the N400m he (Metuh) received from the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014. The former President in his motion challenging the subpoena issued on him, stated that with “with several attempts by some persons in the current dispensation, to harass, intimidate and rubbish” his reputation and that of his wife, the witness summon issued on him upon Metuh’s request was a ploy to drag his name in the mud. He also argued in the motion filed on his behalf by his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), on Monday, that his testimony being sought in Metuh’s trial, would not only amount to an invasion of his right to privacy, it would also expose him to a cri...
Post a Comment
Read more