ADEPR’s decision to strip 35 preachers of pastoral duties over links to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi is painfully and indefensibly late but it is still the right decision, and a significant one. The announcement came last week, after nearly 32 years after the genocide in which over a million innocent lives were lost. That delay cannot be ignored. But neither should the moral weight of what the church has now chosen to do. For far too long, religious institutions implicated in one of history’s darkest crimes have appeared reluctant to fully confront their own internal failures. In Rwanda, the genocide was not only a political and military project; it was also enabled by the silence, complicity, and in some cases active participation of individuals who wore the cloth. That is why ADEPR’s move matters. It sends a clear message that pastoral authority cannot coexist with the stain of genocide ideology or participation in genocide crimes. This is not merely about administrative discipline. It is about moral clarity. Churches are custodians of conscience. They preach repentance, justice, and truth. When they fail to apply those same principles within their own ranks, they weaken public trust and wound survivors all over again. ADEPR, by finally acting, has shown that however delayed, accountability inside the pulpit is possible. Other denominations should pay close attention—especially the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church in Rwanda continues to carry the heavy burden of the role played by some of its clergy during the Genocide against the Tutsi. That burden is not abstract. It has been reinforced over the years by documented cases, including the conviction of former Catholic priest Athanase Seromba by the ICTR for genocide and crimes against humanity. Many others were tried and convicted by different jurisdictions, including our own Gacaca courts. Even Pope Francis, in a 2017 meeting with President Paul Kagame, asked forgiveness for the “sins and failings of the Church and its members” during the genocide. And yet apology, though important, is not enough on its own. Institutions rebuild trust not only through words, but through action. ADEPR has now demonstrated one such action: to sever spiritual authority from those tied to genocide. That example should be followed. No step taken today can erase the pain of 1994. No church decision can undo the betrayal felt by victims who sought sanctuary only to meet death. But when institutions choose truth over protectionism, and accountability over silence, they help restore faith—not only in religion, but in justice itself. ADEPR has moved. Others must now find the courage to do the same.
