Pope Urges Forgiveness For Centuries Of Wrongs

Pope John Paul II evoked the bitterness of centuries of religious rivalry on Sunday, urging Christians to forgive past wrongs, “no matter how great and terrible.”

The pope - speaking at a prayer service in the closing hours of a 48-hour visit - repeated the apology he made on his last trip to the Czech Republic for “the wrongs inflicted on non-Catholics.”

At the same time, “I wished to assure the Catholic Church’s forgiveness of the sufferings which her children have undergone,” John Paul said.

His message was a particularly strong statement of his belief that the church should acknowledge the sins committed by Roman Catholics over the centuries as the third Christian millennium approaches.

Czech lands, particularly Moravia, long were the scene of bitter and often bloody rivalry between Catholics and Protestants.

Christians should “find the courage to forgive one another for the injustices and wrongs of the past, no matter how great and terrible they have been. The barriers of mutual suspicion and mistrust must be broken down,” John Paul said.