UNITED STATES
Christian Century
Aug 14, 2014 by David Briggs
The women came seeking healing. Many of these survivors of the Rwandan genocide had lost family members and some had been raped and infected with HIV. More than a few were struggling just it to make it to another day before they found Solace Ministries.
Sometimes it took a month or a full year before they spoke about their experiences with other survivors. When they did, even if it was only to say a few words before they broke down in tears, other survivors gathered around, embracing one another.
The passage from the Book of Isaiah—“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God”—was the mantra for this ministry. Envisioning a future with a sense of hope was nurtured among a loving community that reinforced their belief in a God who had not abandoned them.
One sermon topic was off limits, however, for the Solace ministers.
“They never, ever, ever preached forgiveness” until a survivor was able to go through a healing process, said Donald Miller, professor of religion and sociology at the University of Southern California. He has visited Rwanda 16 times and conducted more than 260 interviews with widows and orphans of the 1994 genocide. …
Pope Francis drew mixed reactions recently after he asked for forgiveness for “the grave crimes of clerical sexual abuse” and the sins of church leaders in their response to victims.
David Clohessy of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests referred to Francis “as a humble, brilliant, unpretentious pope.” But Clohessy said the pontiff must follow through with reforms such as holding bishops accountable and turning records over to civil authorities.
“We endanger boys and girls if we confuse words with deeds,” Clohessy said.
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