A recent bit of a TV war movie reminded me that sometimes we ask too late to be forgiven. A brain-damaged soldier, dying with mixed up memories of the wife he had failed, could only mumble, “forgive me, forgive me!” It was too late.

It takes guts to swallow pride. Generally we are proud of ourselves, of our nation, of our religion. There is often good reason for this vanity. We enjoy a good reputation, let us say for honesty. The United States has usually held a torch of freedom and courage to a confused world. Our Church has built a way of life, a culture, even a civilization - and has kept the faith.

And yet---?

Is not our own honesty often infected by hypocrisy? Does not the American people share in the gravest of intellectual crimes by filling our children’s textbooks with dishonest stereotypes? The Indian is pictured as the bad guy, not the defender of his land. The Negro appears in our histories as our moral inferior rather than the slave we made him. European immigrants appear as the earth’s scum instead of the life-blood of a new nation. The Oriental, the Mexican, the Puerto Rican and now even our own Appalachian are seen as inhuman, unworthy, and “un-American.” Is this honest history?

Only after generations during which Catholics blamed Protestants, scientists, liberals, modernists, secularists, fascists, and communists as “the enemy” has the Vatican Council focused our awareness on ourselves, the weakness and failings of Catholics, the complacency of our own states.

Politics And Truth

During a political campaign it is likely that we will hear more persons asking for forgiveness. Humility loses out to boasting. Rarely does a candidate say, “I see now where I was wrong. Let me try to repair it.” It was refreshing to hear the President of the United States speak to the people of Asia words that few Western leaders have ever said. At Honolulu, Lyndon Johnson made it clear: “American policy today must be the policy of the open mind. Let us listen when the Asians speak for themselves. Asia’s destiny lies in the hands of Asians. One role is that of a neighbor among equals.”

The president spoke of earlier years of conquest, exploitation, colonialism and cultural penetration, when “the West intruded its then superior power into the East. It should not surprise us that scars, sometimes deep scars, have remained in man’s minds and hearts.” He asked: “How well have we understood the impact of West upon East -- Western arms, industry and ideas upon venerable Asian cultures?” It is surely true that the American record of empire is not as badly stained as some of the European powers, but we have never really grasped the desire in Asia for dignity and independence.

Pope Paul Asks Pardon

If nations rarely speak as President Johnson speaks, churches do so even less. That is why the world’s bishops suddenly sat, bolt upright, when the new pope opened the 2nd session of Vatican II. According to their temperaments, they were astonished, dismayed, joyous and puzzled by his words. Here is what he said of those Christians separated from the Catholic Church -- our Methodist and Baptist friends, the Lutherans and Episcopalians we know, the Pentecostals and revivalists we read about, the Presbyterians and the Orthodox: “If we are in any way to blame for that separation, we humbly beg God’s forgiveness, and ask pardon too of our brethren who feel themselves to have been injured by us.” In humility, he continued: “We willingly forgive the injuries which the Catholic Church has suffered, and forget the grief endured during the long series of dissension and separations.” The bishops sat back thinking - of the Spanish Inquisitions, the burning of John Huss, the sarcasm fired against Martin Luther, the prejudices we have held, the snubs and sneers we have committed.

Adam Or Peter?

It is so easy to alibi, so hard to admit failure.

In Genesis, our first ancestor transmitted to us not only the cancer of his own sin. He left us a heritage of excuses: “The woman whom you gave me for a companion, gave me the fruit of the tree, and I did eat!”

He could have said as Peter would one day say: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” More often we follow Adam and blame someone else. The political words of President Johnson and the moral words of Pope Paul are healthy signs that perhaps people can bow their heads, and ask forgiveness.

Paul J. Hallinan

Archbishop of Atlanta