Is Im Sorry Enough?, by Taylore Carr and Rachel MeteaIssue, The DePaulia, October 4, 2010

Is "I'm Sorry" Enough?

By Taylore Carr and Rachel MeteaIssue
The DePaulia
October 4, 2010

http://media.www.depauliaonline.com/media/storage/paper1414/news/2010/10/04/News/Is.im.Sorry.Enough-3939928.shtml

University community has mixed response to Pope's apology

Pope Benedict XVI delivered an apology speech for sexual abuse cases withint the Catholic Church in Britian on Saturday, Sept. 18.

"There is no DePaul, there are many Depauls," said Dr. Peter Cassarella in light of last month's apology made by Pope Benedict XVI over the sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church. DePaul, as a Catholic university, cannot have one opinion, but multiple because of its large, diverse population of students across campus, said Casarella, a professor of Catholic Studies and the Director of the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology.

In an e-mail interview, Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M. said that it is not in his place as the DePaul University president to "accept" a pope's apology made to the victims in the sexual abuse cases. However, Fr. Holtschneider did comment on the matter.

"I believe the pope is sincere in his apology. I would feel better, however, if he imposed the same rules for priest behavior upon the entire world that have been put in place for the United States," said Rev. Holtschneider.

"To date, he seems to be reacting after-the-fact on a country-by-country basis, rather than taking leadership to see that no priest in the Catholic church who has been credibly accused of improper behavior remains in ministry," said Rev. Holtschneider. "The Catholic Church would be stronger if he led the way on this for all nations."

Many have debated whether the apology is purely an action of repentance or for political gain.

The pope's statement consists of the same apologetic ideas from previous statements but is tweaked with advanced wording, said Terence McKiernan, the president of the victim advocates group, BishopAccountability.org. McKiernan said the pope's apology words are bringing the church's reputation back to a more positive outlook without solving the problem.

But not all believe the pope's apology wasn't genuine.

"Pope Benedict XVI took a stance of repentance and remorse," said Cassarella. Having met the pope multiple times throughout his career, Dr. Cassarella said he knows the pope's theology and shares the same idea of the church always being in reform.

Roberto Francisco Oscar Valentin, a freshman education major who identifies himself as a Roman Catholic, said, "I think it is an admiral act of the pope to have apologized for the clergy's actions," said Oscar. "I believe, as a Catholic university under the papacy, DePaul should accept the Pope's apology and admire his goal for better relations with people and the church."

"It's not like I am not going to accept the pope's apology, because he is just recognizing the problem and offering his condolences for the actions of the clergy," said Kiara Harden, a junior majoring in biology. "However, I think the apology should be coming from the offenders, and the pope's apology does not right the wrong."

"I don't accept the pope's apology because the pope is being used as a scapegoat," said freshman digital cinema production major Sarah Jeanne Perry. "The person who committed the crime should be the one to apologize- not the pope. After committing a crime like that, that clergyman should not be affiliated with the Church."