Pope Francis apologized in Canada last week for the church’s involvement in the “cultural destruction” of the indigenous peoples through the country’s residential schools. The Pope is fulfilling a request by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission “which since 2015 has called upon the Pope to formally issue an apology on Canadian soil for the ‘spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools.’" (NCR, July 25)
"I am sorry," said Francis. "I ask forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the church and of religious communities cooperated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools." (NCR, July 25)
It is significant that the Pope’s first words during this trip did not come in the context of Mass or with public officials but in the form of a direct apology in a meeting with indigenous people.
All of this highlights for me important issues in life that we often neglect: hurt and pain with its residual and perduring effects, ignorance mixed with meaningful intent, the incredible need for forgiveness, the meaningful and heartfelt intent on the one seeking forgiveness, the desire for the one needing healing and reconciliation, the plan for reparations, and the hope that lessons are learned, so that this may not be repeated in other places and times.
The hurt and pain are felt by the victim (for the unjust treatment, the offense) and the victimizer (who knows his guilt, weakness, and shame). Sometimes the hurt may be so significant that the ability to ask for and accept forgiveness takes time. I pray this is not the case, for the longer the reconciliation, the more difficult things become. The one grieved needs to accept the forgiveness so that the hurt no longer has tremendous power. I am thinking of a parent of a former student who forgave the woman who killed her son (her third DUI incident) the day before she was released from jail, so that she could live her life with double intensity, for herself and her son. Quite powerful! Often, those hurt just want to hear another say, “I am sorry.” Perhaps the damage can never be fixed, but an admittance of the wrong allows the victim to have a sense that the aggressor has asked for forgiveness and may be on his road to recovery and improvement. I often sense that the one at fault is most helped by the act of forgiveness for true healing begins then and growth for the future remains. There are many stories where a perpetrator of harm became friends with the one harmed or her relatives. Forgiveness and its acceptance bring healing, new life, and new possibilities. All of this was on display in Canada. What remains is reparation, the unsealing of books and documents, and a plan for spiritual, psychological, and financial support for victims.
What are the lessons learned? They are for us to personalize and to form as a community of faith. Perhaps there is someone whom we need to forgive or ask forgiveness from? Maybe we resolve to appreciate and accept difference and learn from others, other cultures, other faiths, and the like.
We have to resolve to love powerfully and openly. We cannot burden future generations with the task of reconciliation for ignorance and hatred we inflict on others. Personally, as I watched a few hours of coverage on EWTN, I found myself appreciating the network for its coverage when I have often taken umbrage with some of its personalities whom I have judged self-righteous or the network for what many perceive to be an anti-Francis stance. None of this is good for me who begins each day by reading the “rules to live by passage” from Ephesians (4: 29-32), “never let evil talk pass your lips. Say only good things people need to hear, things that will really help them. Do nothing that will sadden the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed against the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, all passion and anger, harsh words, slander, and malice of every kind. In place of these, be kind to one another, compassionate and mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.” One of these days, I’ll get it right!
Father John Fisher, OSFS
Pastor
Our Mother of Consolation Parish, Philadelphia, PA
