National Observer Home > No. 51 - Summer 2002 >Editorial Comment

The Price of a Papal "Apology"

In the media the Papal Exhortation Ecclesia in Oceania of 22 November 2001 was reported incorrectly to be an apology by the Pope to members of Aboriginal communities.

In fact, (a) the Pope himself made no apology and (b) the Synod Fathers apologised ambiguously for “the part played” in “shameful injustices done to indigenous peoples” in Oceania “by members of the Church, especially where children were forcibly separated from their families”. The Synod Fathers’ statement was apparently deliberately ambiguous and was, for example, capable of applying to actions by lay Catholics in their personal capacities as opposed to official actions by the Church.

The relevant part of the Papal Exhortation was in the following terms:

“The past cannot be undone, but honest recognition of past injustices can lead to measures and attitudes which will help to rectify the damaging effects for both the indigenous community and the wider society. The Church expresses deep regret and asks forgiveness where her children have been or still are party to these wrongs. Aware of the shameful injustices done to indigenous peoples in Oceania, the Synod Fathers apologised unreservedly for the part played in these by members of the Church, especially where children were forcibly separated from their families.”

Predictably, the Papal statement led to a call by Mr. Geoff Clark, the intemperate chairman of A.T.S.I.C., for the payment of “compensation” mon- eys: 4

“Mr. Clark said the admission again raised the issue of compensation: ‘One of the formulas that could be used is maybe two per cent of the rental on church properties to go to a justice fund for indigenous people’.”

Pope John Paul is widely admired, but these events illustrate the danger of adoption by him of recommendations from left-of-centre activists in the Catholic Church’s Australian bureaucracy. Unfortunately such bodies as the misnamed “Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace” have become propaganda organs disseminating false information. The Catholic Church must clean out this stable if it wishes to avoid a loss of respect.

On the matter of Aboriginals,

1. In no legal case has it been shown that a child was “forcibly removed” from an Aboriginal parent. In all cases a careful examination by the courts has revealed a voluntary handing over of a part-Aboriginal child in order to protect that child from physical and sexual abuse from Aboriginals.

2. Claims by part-Aboriginal activists, like Mr. Geoff Clark, for apologies and for “reconciliation” have as their sole ultimate aim the improper recovery of large amounts of money from Australian taxpayers and welfare bodies.

3. It is greatly in the interests of Aboriginals that they not be represented by ill-intentioned part-Aboriginals, like Mr. Clark, and that the Aboriginal communities themselves should assume at last a responsible role in encouraging Aboriginals to pursue a proper education, to avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and to obtain proper employment in the Australian com- munity. Only in this way will the welfare of Aboriginals be advanced.

National Observer No. 51 - Summer 2002