ENI – Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologized to the “Stolen Generations” – Indigenous people removed from their families under old policies aimed at assimilation – in February. Church leaders applauded the apology and called for practical steps to address Indigenous disadvantage.
“The Stolen Generations have held a special place in the heart of many of our faithful,” the National Council of Churches in Australia said in a statement released in February. “We rejoice with them that finally their life experiences have been recognized and that we, as a nation, can accept our failures of the past.” Australia's major Christian denominations have already apologized for their role in separating Indigenous families.
Rudd said he would follow the apology with action, noting that Indigenous life expectancy is 17 years lower than the national average. “Symbolism is important but, unless the great symbolism of reconciliation is accompanied by even greater substance, it is little more than a clanging gong,” he said, echoing biblical words found in St Paul's first letter to the Corinthians.
