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	Ouellet Speaks Only for Himself: Bishops Apology for Sins of the Church. Letter 'A Surprising Move,' Theologian Says By Marianne White Gazette November 22, 2007 http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=ce218e27-1a86-4b5e-b0b6-9e0c149d4a6c The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the association of Quebec bishops refused yesterday to stand behind Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who apologized Tuesday for the past sins of the Catholic church. The bishops stressed he "spoke only on his behalf." In his wide-ranging mea culpa, Ouellet said "errors were committed" by Catholics and church officials prior to 1960 in Quebec. He cited the handling of sexual- abuse scandals and attitudes that favoured "anti-Semitism, racism, indifference toward First Nations and discrimination against women and homosexuals." While it is highly unusual for a bishop to make a public statement about the church's past wrongdoing, the Quebec church spoke out in 1990 to mark the 50th anniversary of women in Quebec gaining the right to vote in provincial elections, but did not address the issue of sexual offences. "It's a surprising move," said Université Laval theologian Gilles Routhier. "But Cardinal Ouellet is known for making comments that don't go unnoticed." He also said it was "strange" that Ouellet referred to a period before 1960, letting people conclude that since then nothing wrong has been done. "And he is talking about things that were not committed under his leadership and that don't implicate him," Routhier added. In his open letter, Ouellet acknowledged that abuses of power tarnished the church's image and hindered its moral authority. "Forgive us for all this pain!" he wrote. Ouellet was not available for comments yesterday - he was travelling to Rome - and his spokesperson said his intention was to get a "dialogue going between the church and the Quebec society." "It's a gesture of reconciliation - and it's very spontaneous," Isabelle Théberge said. Ouellet is considered among the highest-ranking Roman Catholic officials in the country and is known for his conservative views. He is the Primate of the Catholic Church in Canada, but that is only an honorary title given to all Quebec City archbishops since this is the oldest diocese in the country.
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