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THE QUESTION
Pope's Apologies Accepted?
Pope Benedict XVI has offered a number of apologies recently, for clergy sex abuse, for promoting a Holocaust denier, for statements about Islam. What does it mean that a Pope has started doing that? Should those apologies be accepted? Should more religious leaders do that?
Posted by
Sally Quinn on March 30, 2009 2:57 PM
FROM THE PANEL
Pope Benedict and the Pursuit of Truth
Pope Benedict's willingness to admit to mistakes is a welcome precedent for all leaders, civil or religious.
Posted by Thomas G. Bohlin, on April 13, 2009 2:32 PM
Time to Apologize to Witches
It's more than time that the Catholic and Protestant Churches both apologized for centuries of persecution of Witches, Pagans and those they deemed 'heretics' for believing something different than standard dogma.
Posted by Starhawk, on April 11, 2009 12:18 PM
Apology, Acknowledgment, and Contrition
Only if the church vigorously prosecutes those who are guilty will the Pope's apology have depth and force. To date, the church has been ambiguous at best in its carrying out of this grave responsibility.
Posted by David Wolpe, on April 7, 2009 3:23 PM
The Power of Apology
Benedict's courage to apologize on behalf of the church, in spite of the criticism he knew he would get, shows he understands that false pride really does come before the fall.
Posted by Susan K. Smith, on April 7, 2009 2:27 PM
A Papal Cry of Pain
The personal quality of the Pope's apology is stunning, and a broad call for tolerance and reconciliation.
Posted by Mathew N. Schmalz, on April 7, 2009 8:46 AM
New Occasions Teach New Duties -- Even to Popes
Benedict's apologies are welcome -- but some day, some Pope may apologize for Rome's long-continued use of the Roman emperor as model for the papacy.
Posted by Willis E. Elliott, on April 6, 2009 5:13 PM
Pope Benedict's Professor Problem
Unless the pope changes how he gets information and how he makes decisions, we will continue to have these periodic media disasters.
Posted by Thomas J. Reese, S.J., on April 6, 2009 4:01 PM
Pope Benedict's Apologies Teach Spiritual Lesson For All
We can learn from this phenomenon of a global religious leader having the moral courage and spiritual sensitivity to apologize for his actions.
Posted by Brad Hirschfield, on April 5, 2009 4:26 PM
Benedict's Evasive Apology
When the Pope apologizes for anything, his statement generally signifies nothing more than an attempt at damage control in the wake of an unanticipated public relations disaster created by his and his church's actions.
Posted by Susan Jacoby, on April 4, 2009 8:55 AM
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