Pope begs forgiveness for church role in Rwanda

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Monday begged forgiveness for the “sins and failings of the church and its members” during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, and told Rwanda’s president that he hoped his apology would help the country heal.

In an extraordinary statement after Francis’ meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the Vatican acknowledged that the church itself bore blame, as well as some Catholic priests and nuns who “succumbed to hatred and violence, betraying their own evangelical mission” by participating in the genocide.

During the 100-day genocide, more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists. Many of the victims died at the hands of priests, clergymen and nuns, according to some accounts by survivors, and the Rwandan government says many died in the churches where they had sought refuge.

During the 25-minute meeting in the Apostolic Palace, Francis “implored anew God’s forgiveness for the sins and failings of the church and its members,” the Vatican said.

The Rwandan government has long pressured the church to apologize for its complicity in the genocide, but both the Vatican and the local church have been reluctant to do so.

The church has long said those church officials who committed crimes acted individually.