Pardon Mass Asks God to Forgive Sins of Catholic Church

By Niraj Warikoo
Detroit Free Press
October 7, 2016

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2016/10/07/pardon-mass-catholic-church/91668832/

In a unique religious service today, the Catholic Church in metro Detroit is seeking to atone for sins it says it has committed over the years — racism, neglecting the poor, abuse of children by clergy and not spreading the faith.

Called Mass for Pardon, the service will talk about the various sins committed by the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, which has about 1.3 million Catholics in southeastern Michigan. It's modeled after a public expression of repentance in 2000 by Pope John Paul II, who asked for God's forgiveness for the sins of the Catholic Church as it marked the new millennium. Also, Pope Francis has declared 2016 to be the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

The Mass for Pardon comes six weeks before the Archdiocese of Detroit has a gathering called Synod 2016 — the first of its kind in Detroit since 1969 — where leaders will chart the future of the church in the six-county region.

Speaking to the Free Press, Archbishop of Detroit Allen Vigneron said that racism was an important topic, given that the city of Detroit is 79% African-American, the highest percentage of African Americans among big cities in the U.S., and because of the history of racism toward them.