I tried to ask the same question in a slightly different way (why did not the dozens of popes who preceded JPII apologized for the Jan Hus affair?) but got no responses. I suppose it’s tempting to strengthen one’s faith by ignoring its weaknesses.
But the weakness will only grow until it is dealt with. Perhaps this sinful aspect of the institutional church serves as a metaphor for our relectance to confess our personal sins.
The answer to that is simple. No Pope is obligated to publicly apologize for the misdeeds commited by Churchmen, especially when the events occurred centuries ago.
Strictly speaking, the Church (as the spotless Bride and Mystical Body of Christ) cannot sin.
What other organization do you know goes around apologizing for mistrial and misexecutions caried out by fellow members in times past, especially centuries ago? Virtually none. Such things aren’t “owed.” At most, they can be offered to make the offending party feel better, but they should not be expected, much less dismissed with “It’s too late; you should’ve apologized sooner.”
Previous Popes knew Jan Hus’s murder was unjust. They just felt no need to apologize. And quite frankly, neither do I. Such apologizes cause more harm than good to the Church, as they leave people with the false impression that the Church can sin. It also just serves to give fuel to our enemies, who blow these things out of proportion anyways.
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