Sacrament of Reconciliation

By Henry Srebrnik, [Charlottetown, PEI] Guardian

The Rwandan genocide that began in April 1994 unfolded with shocking speed. It only lasted around 100 days but left hundreds of thousands dead.

There were too many genocide perpetrators for the courts to try, so the government instituted gacaca courts in the villages, based on traditional Rwandan judicial principles. The prisons filled up with those convicted.

There have been some positive instances of reconciliation in Rwanda since then. Although the government has been involved in most, some have been facilitated through the Roman Catholic Church.

While Catholicism is the majority religion practised in Rwanda there was a loss in the moral credibility of the church. Throughout the genocide, many Rwandans turned to places of worship to seek refuge from violence, only to be turned away, resulting in so many deaths that churches throughout the nation became hosts to mass graves.

During the genocide, even priests and nuns were known to have committed murders. “People had faith in their religion,” Rev. Nathan Gasatura, the Bishop of Butare, said.

“It is a shame that some churches and religious leaders that were supposed to protect people ended up participating in the mass killings instead. It completely changed everything. Many people switched religions after that.”

But at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kabuga and the Mushaka Holy Spirit Church in Mushaka Parish, Rwandans have come together and using faith as progress towards reconciliation.

The healing occurring at each of these places of worship is very different. In Kabuga, many have begun to re-experience their faith through a series of ceremonies. Throughout these, there is a heavy association between the crucifixion of Jesus and the suffering of the genocide.

A physical statue of Jesus is moved throughout multiple locations to represent the stages of his suffering. On Good Friday Jesus is removed from his place on the cross into one of the many on-site chapels.

There is a ceremony of burial held for Jesus which reflects traditional local burial customs. A vigil is held in which participants place flowers atop Jesus as offerings which can be seen to foster a sense of unity.

The symbolism of its relation to the genocide can be seen in the act of burying “genocide weapons” such as machetes, grenades, clubs, and spears at the feet of Christ the next morning.

Confessions are written on slips of paper and placed in a basket next to the physical representation of Jesus and are burned weekly to free visitors of guilt or shame they may feel linked to their experiences of the genocide.

This form of worship is referred to as “popular piety,” in which Jesus serves as the “sacrament of reconciliation.” Individuals can visit the site at any time of the day or night making it accessible to all within the community.

At the Mushaka Parish, relationships between those who are returning to the community having served their time for crimes they committed during the genocide, and those who may be considered victims of their crimes, have come together through the church. Each group is assisted for six months before a reconciliation ceremony is held.

Initially, there is a five-day retreat involving many hymns and prayers. Since the sins and harm caused by the genocide were largely social, “penitence” must involve the community. The former perpetrators engage in public acts of service towards their victims, often in the form of labour, such as making repairs or farming.

Finally, at the end of the six months, there is a large Sunday celebration held in which relationships are restored and bread is broken. Families of both sides are involved in a ceremony of blessings from the priest followed by a large feast.

As part of this ceremony, any weapons that were involved and are still in possession of those being reintegrated into the community are given to the priest to be placed at a local memorial site dedicated to victims of the genocide.

This final healing service is said to cure the physical, spiritual, and psychological damage of those involved.