from Bulletin of October 1, 2006
by Fr. Brian Joyce
- 1992: After 13 years of study by the Vatican, Pope John Paul II declared that the church was wrong to condemn astronomer Galileo. The pope said Galileo’s condemnation had resulted from “tragic mutual incomprehension.”
- 1992: Visiting a former centre of the slave trade in Senegal, John Paul begged for forgiveness for the Christians involved in the slave trade.
- 1995: John Paul issued a document saying that the Church was “truly sorry” for any discrimination or mistreatment of women.
- 1995: John Paul asked forgiveness for violence by Catholics against Protestants during the 16th century Counterreformation. “Today I, the pope of the Church of Rome, in the name of all Catholics, ask forgiveness for the wrongs inflicted on non-Catholics during the turbulent history of these peoples.”
- 1998: In a document on the Holocaust, John Paul expressed remorse for the cowardice of some Christians during the Nazi persecution of Jews, regretting the silence of those who “were not strong enough to raise their voices in protest”.
- 1999: John Paul denounced the persecution of Jan Hus, a 15th-century religious reformer and precursor of Protestantism who was burned at the stake.
- 2000: On a solemn Day of Pardon during the Holy Year, John Paul asked forgiveness for the sins of Catholics through the ages, including wrongs inflicted on Jews, women and minorities. During the ceremony it was the future Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who spoke of the Inquisition, confessing “sins committed in the service of the truth”.
- 2000: In a visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, John Paul said the Catholic Church is “deeply saddened by the hatred, acts of persecution and displays of anti-Semitism directed against the Jews by Christians at any time and in any place”.
- 2001: On a visit to Athens, John Paul issued a sweeping apology for wrongs committed by Roman Catholics against Orthodox Christians.
- 2001: Sending his official word over the internet for the first time, John Paul apologized for missionary abuses against indigenous peoples of the South Pacific.
- 2006: Pope Benedict XVI said he was “deeply sorry” that Muslims worldwide took offense over a speech he gave in Germany on September 12 about Islam and holy war and expressed his “deep respect” for Islam.