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I knew one person who was there as a journalist. From what I recall in talking to him it was mob insanity. Not from him, but my own guess is people took refuge in churches, the attackers (I forget which was which) probably saw opportunity with a bunch of sheep to slaughter, and my guess is the clergy stood by trying to save their own lives..
From the article:
Quote:
Many of the victims died at the hands of priests, clergymen and nuns
“Forgive us for the crime of hate in the country to the extent of also hating our colleagues because of their ethnicity. We didn’t show that we are one family but instead killed each other,” the statement said.
Hating is forgivable. Lots of people hate. But they don't grab machetes and hack other human beings to death by the thousands. That was your crime, which arose from a depth of barbarism far beyond the power of the Catholic Church to reform.
I'd like to see some concrete proof of that. Not saying it isn't true, but clergy may contribute to death, but rarely are the executioners.
And I seriously doubt nuns were hacking arms off with machetes. But I wasn't there, so anything is possible.
Catholic clergy participated in the massacre. Not only that, but the church sat passively while the Belgians set the stage for ethnic conflict down the line. Sorry, but the church isn't innocent here.
The Catholic has sat passively through these kinds of conflicts time after time....doing absolutely nothing. In Latin America, the Church rarely ever spoke out about oligarchs and right wing dictatorships as long as the church was left untouched.
The only time they've ever taken a stand against injustice is when communists take power. And that's only because they don't want their property expropriated.
Hating is forgivable. Lots of people hate. But they don't grab machetes and hack other human beings to death by the thousands. That was your crime, which arose from a depth of barbarism far beyond the power of the Catholic Church to reform.
Reform? LMAO....the church said nothing while the stage was being set for future conflict.
Why? Because at least their Belgian masters imposed Christianity on the Rwandans....ensuring that the church would have a presence in that country forever. Why criticize the Belgians for putting Tutsis in power and helping them oppress the Hutus?
I'd like to see some concrete proof of that. Not saying it isn't true, but clergy may contribute to death, but rarely are the executioners.
And I seriously doubt nuns were hacking arms off with machetes. But I wasn't there, so anything is possible.
Going back to the early 1800's Christian missionaries aligned themselves with government power.
They sought and succeeded in entwining religion and Justice systems, common stuff, everywhere.
As it relates to Rwanda, a country where 95% of the population is Christian, ethnicity and region is far more important than any particular brand of Christianity. As it relates to this particular genocide where 20 % of the population was murdered ( and 70% of ethnic Tutsi) churches and parishes were complicit. It was the collective inaction and rationalization of genocide rather than priests, pastors and nuns running around with machetes.
Some reports allege that a majority of the murders occurred in churches, parishes and meeting halls because that's where Tutsis went for refuge. Baptists, 7th Day Adventists, Evangelicals, Jehovah Wittnesses leaders were up to their eyeballs in the muck, too. They have simply not yet acknowledged their role in the genocide.
Catholic clergy participated in the massacre. Not only that, but the church sat passively while the Belgians set the stage for ethnic conflict down the line. Sorry, but the church isn't innocent here.
The Catholic has sat passively through these kinds of conflicts time after time....doing absolutely nothing. In Latin America, the Church rarely ever spoke out about oligarchs and right wing dictatorships as long as the church was left untouched.
The only time they've ever taken a stand against injustice is when communists take power. And that's only because they don't want their property expropriated.
That the Catholic Bishop acknowledged and apologized does not mean only the Catholic Church was complicit.
Particular brands of Christianity do matter much in Rwanda. It was all about ethnicity and tribal regions.
Christians massacred Christians and the various clergy and church leaders rationalized it all.
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