I want to apologise

The Jesus I worship is not likely to collaborate with those who vilify and persecute an already oppressed minority. I myself could not have opposed the injustice of penalizing people for something about which they could do nothing - their race - and then have kept quiet as women were being penalized for something they could do nothing about - their gender, and hence my support inter alia, for the ordination of women to the priesthood and the episcopate.



And equally, I could not myself keep quiet whilst people were being penalized for something about which they could do nothing, their sexuality.



For it is so improbable that any sane, normal person would deliberately choose a lifestyle exposing him or her to so much vilification, opprobrium and physical abuse, even death.



To discriminate against our sisters and brothers who are lesbian or gay on grounds of their sexual orientation for me is as totally unacceptable and unjust as Apartheid ever was. (February 2004)

I want to apologise to you and to all those who we in the church have persecuted.



I’m sorry that we have been part of the persecution of a particular group. For me that is quite un-Christ like and, for that reason, it is unacceptable.



May be, even as a retired Archbishop, I probably have, to some extent, a kind of authority but apart from anything let me say for myself and anyone who might want to align themselves with me, I’m sorry.



I’m sorry for the hurt, for the rejection, for the anguish that we have caused to such as yourselves. (17 December 2007)

— The Most Rev Dr Desmond Mpilo Tutu, former Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town

You can listen to the interview containing the apology here. It brought me to tears when I heard the last two sentences quoted immediately above.


h/t to JN1034 for the texts
--the BB