Keeping the Spirit of the Jubilee Alive
On the First Sunday of Lent Last Year
POPE SOLEMNLY ASKS FORGIVENESS FOR PAST FAULTS OF CHURCH'S CHILDREN
One of Most Significant Events of Jubilee Year
VATICAN CITY, MAR 12 (ZENIT.org).- Today John Paul II presided over a
ceremony that will pass into the history books. For the first time, in a
solemn ceremony, the Pontiff asked forgiveness for the past and present
faults of the children of the Church. This gesture has become on of the
most significant signs of the Jubilee of the Year 2000.
The ceremony began before Michelangelo's "Pietà" altar in St. Peter's.
The Pontiff began this gesture before an image of Mary because the
Church, like the Virgin, wants to take into its arms the crucified
Savior, weighed down with the sins of her children, and invoking the
Father's forgiveness.
The homily during the Mass was a genuine examination of conscience for
past and present faults of the Church's children. But the most solemn
moment came when John Paul II led a prayer in which he confessed the
faults and asked for forgiveness.
"Mea Culpa"
After an initial plea for repentance, 7 Cardinals of the Roman Curia
publicly confessed Christians' past and present faults. The first,
Benin's Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, dean of the College of Cardinals,
made a general confession of Christians' sins in the course of history,
while Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, called for confession of faults for the use of
"non-evangelical methods" in the service of faith.
Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the Central Committee for the
Jubilee, exhorted the confession of sins that caused division among
Christians; Cardinal Edward Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity, acknowledged the faults committed
"against the people of the Covenant," Israel; and Japanese Archbishop
Stephen Fumio Hamao, president of the Pontifical Council for the
Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, mentioned sins committed
against love, peace, the rights of peoples, respect of cultures and
religions.
Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council
for Inter-Religious Dialogue, requested confession of sins that have
wounded the dignity of woman and the unity of mankind. Finally,
Vietnamese Archbishop François Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân, president of the
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, encouraged confession of sins
in the area of fundamental rights of the human person: abuses against
children, marginalisation of the poor, suppression of the unborn in the
maternal womb or their use for experimentation...
The Cardinals' confession included the topics mentioned earlier by the
Pontiff in his homily. The Papal "mea culpa" also addressed the present
day sins of Christians. "With greater reason, we confess our
responsibility for today's evils. In face of atheism, religious
indifference, secularism, ethical relativism, violations of the right to
life, indifference toward the poverty of many countries, we cannot but
ask ourselves what our responsibilities are."
After asking God's forgiveness, each one of those responsible for
Vatican organizations venerated a very special crucifix, which today was
in the Vatican Basilica, but which normally is displayed in the Roman
Church of St. Marcellus. This is an image of Christ that has been
venerated during Holy Years since the 14th century. At the end of the
final prayer, the Holy Father himself embraced and kissed the crucifix
as an expression of love and petition for pardon.
Reasons for the "Mea Culpa"
John Paul II explained the meaning of this unique ceremony at its
conclusion, when he met thousands of faithful in the Vatican's St.
Peter's Square to pray the Marian "Angelus." "The Holy Year is a time of
purification: the Church is Holy because Christ is her Head and Spouse,
the Spirit is her vivifying soul, and the Blessed Virgin and the saints
are her most authentic expression. However, the children of the Church
know the reality of sin, whose shadows are reflected in her, darkening
her beauty. Because of this, the Church does not cease to implore God's
forgiveness for the sins of her members."
The Pope made it clear that "this is not a judgment on the subjective
responsibility of the brothers who have preceded us: this is something
that corresponds only to God who, as opposed to us human beings, is able
to 'scrutinize the heart and the mind.' The act carried out today is a
sincere acknowledgment of the faults committed by the children of the
Church in the remote and recent past, and a humble supplication for
God's forgiveness. This will no doubt awaken consciences, enabling
Christians to enter the third millennium more open to God and his plan
of love."
However, not only did the Pope ask for forgiveness, on behalf of the
Church, he also forgave. "As we ask for forgiveness, we forgive," he
explained. "This is what we say every day when we pray the prayer taught
to us by Christ: 'Our Father... forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us.' May this Jubilee day bring all believers
the fruit of reciprocal pardon given and received."
After having forgiven and been forgiven, Christians, according to John
Paul II, will be able to enter the new millennium "as more credible
witnesses of hope."
"Following centuries characterized by violence and destruction, and
after this last especially dramatic one, the Church presents to
humanity, which crosses the threshold of the third millennium, the
Gospel of forgiveness and reconciliation, as the premise to construct
authentic peace," he concluded.
ZE00031207
The Holy Father's "Mea Culpa" on behalf of the Church on March 12, 2000
part one
UNIVERSAL PRAYER: CONFESSION OF SINS AND ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS
Introduction
The Holy Father:
Brothers and Sisters, let us turn with trust to God our Father, Who is
merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, great in love and fidelity,
and ask Him to accept the repentance of His people who humbly confess
their sins, and to grant them mercy.
[All pray for a moment in silence.]
I. CONFESSION OF SINS IN GENERAL
Cardinal Bernardin Gantin:
Let us pray that our confession and repentance will be inspired by the
Holy Spirit, that our sorrow will be conscious and deep, and that,
humbly viewing the sins of the past in an authentic "purification of
memory", we will be committed to the path of true conversion.
The Holy Father:
Lord God, Your pilgrim Church, which You ever sanctify in the blood of
Your Son, counts among her children in every age members whose holiness
shines brightly forth and members whose disobedience to You contradicts
the faith we profess and the Holy Gospel. You, Who remain ever faithful,
even when we are unfaithful, forgive our sins and grant that we may bear
true witness to You before all men and women. We ask this through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Cantor:
Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie eleison.
The assembly repeats:
Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie eleison.
[A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]
II. CONFESSION OF SINS COMMITTED IN THE SERVICE OF TRUTH
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger:
Let us pray that each one of us, looking to the Lord Jesus, meek and
humble of heart, will recognize that even men of the Church, in the name
of faith and morals, have sometimes used methods not in keeping with the
Gospel in the solemn duty of defending the truth.
The Holy Father:
Lord, God of all men and women, in certain periods of history Christians
have at times given in to intolerance and have not been faithful to the
great commandment of love, sullying in this way the face of the Church,
Your Spouse. Have mercy on Your sinful children
and accept our resolve to seek and promote truth in the gentleness of
charity, in the firm knowledge that truth can prevail only in virtue of
truth itself. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Response: Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie eleison.
[A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]
III. CONFESSION OF SINS WHICH HAVE HARMED THE UNITY OF THE BODY OF
CHRIST
Cardinal Roger Etchegaray:
Let us pray that our recognition of the sins which have rent the unity
of the Body of Christ and wounded fraternal charity will facilitate the
way to reconciliation and communion among all Christians.
The Holy Father:
Merciful Father, on the night before His Passion Your Son prayed for the
unity of those who believe in Him: in disobedience to His will, however,
believers have opposed one another, becoming divided, and have mutually
condemned one another and fought against one another. We urgently
implore Your forgiveness and we beseech the gift of a repentant heart,
so that all Christians, reconciled with You and with one another will be
able, in one body and in one spirit, to experience anew the joy of full
communion. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Response: Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie eleison.
[A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]
IV. CONFESSION OF SINS AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL
Cardinal Edward Cassidy:
Let us pray that, in recalling the sufferings endured by the people of
Israel throughout history, Christians will acknowledge the sins
committed by not a few of their number against the people of the
Covenant and the blessings, and in this way will purify their hearts.
The Holy Father:
God of our fathers, You chose Abraham and his descendants to bring Your
Name to the Nations: we are deeply saddened by the behaviour of those
who in the course of history have caused these children of Yours to
suffer, and asking Your forgiveness we wish to commit ourselves
to genuine brotherhood with the people of the Covenant. We ask this
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Response: Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie eleison.
[A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]
V. CONFESSION OF SINS COMMITTED IN ACTIONS AGAINST LOVE, PEACE, THE
RIGHTS OF PEOPLES, AND RESPECT FOR CULTURES AND RELIGIONS
Archbishop Stephen Fumio Hamao:
Let us pray that contemplating Jesus, our Lord and our Peace, Christians
will be able to repent of the words and attitudes caused by pride, by
hatred, by the desire to dominate others, by enmity towards members of
other religions and towards the weakest groups in society,
such as immigrants and itinerants.
The Holy Father:
Lord of the world, Father of all, through Your Son You asked us to love
our enemies, to do good to those who hate us and to pray for those who
persecute us. Yet Christians have often denied the Gospel;
yielding to a mentality of power, they have violated the rights of
ethnic groups and peoples, and shown contempt for their cultures and
religious traditions: be patient and merciful towards us, and grant us
Your forgiveness! We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Response: Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison.
[A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]
VI. CONFESSION OF SINS AGAINST THE DIGNITY OF WOMEN AND THE UNITY OF
THE HUMAN RACE
Cardinal Francis Arinze:
Let us pray for all those who have suffered offences against their human
dignity and whose rights have been trampled; let us pray for women, who
are all too often humiliated and emarginated, and let us acknowledge the
forms of acquiescence in these sins of which Christians too have been
guilty.
The Holy Father:
Lord God, our Father, You created the human being, man and woman,
in Your image and likeness and You willed the diversity of peoples
within the unity of the human family. At times, however, the equality of
Your sons and daughters has not been acknowledged, and Christians have
been guilty of attitudes of rejection and exclusion, consenting to acts
of discrimination on the basis of racial and ethnic differences. Forgive
us and grant us the grace to heal the wounds still present in Your
community on account of sin, so that we will all feel ourselves to be
Your sons and daughters. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Response: Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison.
[A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]
VII. CONFESSION OF SINS IN RELATION TO THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE
PERSON
Archbishop François Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân:
Let us pray for all the men and women of the world, especially for
minors who are victims of abuse, for the poor, the alienated, the
disadvantaged; let us pray for those who are most defenseless,
the unborn killed in their mother's womb or even exploited for
experimental purposes by those who abuse the promise of biotechnology
and distort the aims of science.
The Holy Father:
God, our Father, You always hear the cry of the poor. How many times
have Christians themselves not recognized You in the hungry, the thirsty
and the naked, in the persecuted, the imprisoned, and in those incapable
of defending themselves, especially in the first stages of life. For all
those who have committed acts of injustice by trusting in wealth and
power and showing contempt for the "little ones" who are so dear to You,
we ask Your forgiveness: have mercy on us and accept our repentance. We
ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Response: Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison.
[A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]
Concluding Prayer
The Holy Father:
Most merciful Father, Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Judge of the living
and the dead, in the humility of His first coming redeemed humanity from
sin and in His glorious return He will demand an account of every sin.
Grant that our forebears, our brothers and sisters, and we, Your
servants, who by the grace of the Holy Spirit turn back to You in
whole-hearted repentance, may experience Your mercy and receive
the forgiveness of our sins. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
[As a sign of penance and veneration the Holy Father embraces and kisses
the Crucifix.]
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March 11, 2001
volume 12, no. 70
JUBILEE MOMENTS TO REMEMBER
www.DailyCatholic.org
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