President Kagame weighs in on Catholic Church's apology for role in genocide

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame during the 14th National Dialogue in Kigali on December 16, 2016. PHOTO | URUGWIRO VILLAGE 

By Edmund Kagire

In Summary

• “I don’t understand why the Pope would apologise for sexual offences, whether it is in the US, Ireland or Australia, but cannot apologise for the role of the Church in the genocide that happened here,” President Kagame said.

President Paul Kagame on Friday, said he does not understand why the Vatican has failed to say sorry for the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda, yet the Pope has been able to apologise for lesser offences committed globally by the clergy.

It was the first time the Rwandan leader was personally weighing in on a recent apology by the local chapter of the Roman Catholic Church that Kigali dismissed as inadequate.

The debate on the Church’s involvement in the genocide took centre stage on the second day of the 14th National Dialogue (Umushyikirano), with President Kagame stating that it is not clear why the Church has not owned up.

Last month, Rwanda’s Episcopal Council issued a statement apologising for the participation of some of its clergy and church members in the massacre. The government dismissed it and called for an unequivocal apology by the global Catholic Church.

“I don’t understand why the Pope would apologise for sexual offences, whether it is in the US, Ireland or Australia, but cannot apologise for the role of the Church in the genocide that happened here,” President Kagame said.

He was responding to a question raised by a participant in the dialogue regarding the matter.

Reacting to the same question, Phillip Rukamba, a spokesman of the Rwandan bishops, said that the Church as an institution bears no responsibility.

“So far what we understand, the Church as an institution did not participate in the genocide. The Church did not send people to kill others. There is nothing to show that it did, whether it is a letter or a document,” Bishop Rukamba said.

“But as we said in our recent apology, church members did participate in the genocide and that is what we are apologising for and seek forgiveness for,” he added amidst murmurs.

The clergyman said that while the current position the Church has taken is ‘disappointing’, the matter could be discussed further in different platforms, until an understanding is reached.

However, the president said the explanation given by the prelate was unsatisfactory.

Rwanda wants the Vatican to take responsibility of the crimes committed by the clergy and its members for the thousands slaughtered in churches where they had sought refuge during the genocide.

Kigali has also been pushing the church to strip and excommunicate clergy found guilty of abetting killings, but the latter remains adamant saying priests can only be discharged from service but retain their titles.

Last year, Pope Francis issued a public apology for a series of scandals involving priests including homosexuality, sexual abuse and drug use.

While several priests and nuns of the church have been convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity by Rwandan courts, others are said to have eluded justice because of the protection of the Vatican.