VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - In one of the most significant acts of his papacy, Pope John Paul asked forgiveness on Sunday for the many past sins of his Church, including its treatment of Jews, heretics, women and native peoples.
It was the first time in the history of the Catholic Church that one of its leaders has sought such a sweeping pardon.
Wearing the purple vestments of Lenten mourning and speaking at the heart of Catholicism in St Peter's Basilica, the Pope and his top cardinals listed the many past sins of their Church, grouped into seven categories.
"We forgive and we ask for forgiveness," the Pope said in his homily during the unprecedented ceremony, held on the Catholic Church's "Day of Forgiveness" for the 2000 Holy Year.
There was great curiosity before the ceremony about how specific the Pope would be when speaking of the Jews.
The prayer for forgiveness for sins against Jews, which was read by Cardinal Edward Cassidy, said in part:
"Let us pray that, in recalling the sufferings endured by the people of Israel throughout history, Christians will acknowledge the sins committed by not a few of their number against the people of the Covenant...."
The Pope then added in his own words: "We are deeply saddened by the behavior of those who in the course of history have caused these children of yours (the Jews) to suffer, and asking your forgiveness we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the people of the Covenant."
There was no specific reference to the Holocaust, in which the Nazis killed some six million Jews.
Last week Italian Jews called on the Pope, who visits Jerusalem later this month, to be as specific as possible about the Holocaust during Sunday's mass.
But Rabbi David Rosen, head of the Jerusalem office of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, said expectations that the Pope would say more were perhaps "a little unrealistic."
Rosen, a prominent figure in Catholic-Jewish relations, told Reuters the inclusion of a request for forgiveness from Jews in a Roman Catholic liturgy in St Peter's was "a significant step."
In a major document in 1998, the Vatican apologized for Catholics who had failed to help Jews against Nazi persecution and acknowledged centuries of preaching of contempt for Jews.
"We ask forgiveness for the divisions among Christians, for the use of violence that some Christians used in the service of the truth and for the behavior of diffidence and hostility sometimes used toward followers of other religions," the Pope said in his homily before the prayers.
The words "violence in the service of truth" is a much-used reference to the treatment of heretics during the Inquisition, the Crusades, and forced conversions of native peoples.
"For the role that each one of us has had, with his behavior, in these evils, contributing to a disfigurement of the face of the Church, we humbly ask forgiveness," he said.
The seven categories of forgiveness were general sins, sins in the service of truth, sins against Christian unity, against the Jews, against respect for love, peace and cultures, against the dignity of women and minorities, and against human rights.
There was no reference to homosexuals, who had asked to be included in the list of those asked for forgiveness.
The prayer for forgiveness from women and minorities said Christians had been "guilty of attitudes of rejection and exclusion, consenting to acts of discrimination on the basis of racial and ethnic differences."
The prayer for forgiveness for human rights abuses said Christians had not recognized Christ in the poor, the persecuted and imprisoned and had too often committed "acts of injustice by trusting in wealth and power."
Referring to abortion, he said Christians had not defended the defenseless "especially in the first stages of life."
The Pope said Christians had "violated the rights of ethnic groups and peoples and shown contempt for their cultures and religious traditions." A prayer mentioned sins against gypsies.
The Pope has said often that Catholics should see the start of the millennium as an ideal opportunity to seek forgiveness for past sins, including those of the Church as a community.
He has called this a necessary "purification of memory" in order for the Church to move forward.
The Pope also said Christians were ready to forgive others for the abuse suffered by Christians over the centuries.