Pope’s Apology

Your March 14 editorial, “A Historic Confession,” sadly misses the point. If the pope’s confession fails as a detailed litany of errors and thus displeases some, that is unfortunate. Nor is there anything that Pope John Paul II or anyone else can do to change history.

However, this confession is not about the past, it is about the future. Catholic theology has always held that confession and contrition without a firm resolve to change bad behavior are without merit. John Paul’s confession is a call to and for Catholics to recognize (some) past behavior and attitudes as inconsistent with the teachings of the gospels and therefore to resolve not to perpetuate them in the future. If that understanding also pleases The Times, all the better.

WILLIAM D. ROBINSON

San Clemente