Being raised in the Catholic faith is a great gift. But with this great gift comes great responsibility. We live in a culture ashamed of its past; a culture feeling as if it needs to apologize for past “terrible” actions against others. The Crusades are one of those past “terrible” actions many honestly believe the Western world needs to apologize for. The secular world was shocked when in the early 2000s Pope John Paul II seemingly apologized to Muslims for the Crusades. So if the Pope did apologized for the Crusades then it seems the Western world is justified in its feelings of shame for its tarnished past. 
But getting back to Catholic responsibility. The title of an article published in The Telegraph online newspaper website in June 2004 read: “Pope says sorry for crusaders’ rampage in 1204.” The article primarily focuses on Pope John Paul II’s apology to Orthodox Christians for the sacking of Constantinople by Crusaders in 1204, which caused a rift between the Eastern and Western Christian worlds. However, the last sentence of the article is what is shocking: “He [Pope John Paul II] has also apologized to Muslims for the Crusades.” Really?? Where are the quotes from the Pope asking for forgiveness from Muslims for the Crusades? As responsible Catholics we should question this statement and seek to discover its validity.
So were the Crusades unjust offensive wars fought to conquer Islamic territory and spread European power? What motivated thousands of people to leave their homes and travel thousands of miles with little chance of returning? Was it truly greed and a thirst for glory and power that spurred these Medieval Christians to action?
Starting in 622 AD, Islam began conquering territory throughout the East and continued cutting into original Christian territory, like Palestine, Syria, and Egypt. Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem were in Muslim control when Pope Urban II called for the First Crusade in 1095. So when Pope Urban II preached crusade it was a defensive holy war he was calling for, not an offensive unjust missionary war. Islam was spreading like wildfire and the Church needed to protect Herself against this threat by fighting back.
Now the second question, “What motivated thousands of people to leave their homes and travel thousands of miles with little chance of returning?” This one is difficult to understand from a contemporary mindset because it involves intense religious fervor and devotion. The Church would grant plenary indulgences to those willing to take up the cross and take back Jerusalem. Now Medieval Christians were very aware of sin, much more so than we are today. The idea of making reparation for a life of sin by fighting for the holy places struck a chord with most Medieval Christians. Pope Urban II’s symbol of the cloth cross to be taken up by Crusaders was a way for them to take up the cross of Christ and imitate His way. A pious way of life centered on imitating Christ sprang from the call to crusade. Think of the military orders that began during the Crusades like the Knights Templar or the Knights of Malta.
And to touch upon the last question, “Was it greed and a thirst for glory and power that spurred these Medieval Christians to action?” The short answer to this is No. While there may have been Crusaders who thought crusading would make them rich and bring them glory most did not view crusading in this way. To go on Crusade was expensive and the odds of making it back home were low. The Crusades were primarily an act of love. Crusaders took to heart Christ’s words “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (Jn 15:13).” They deeply believed they had an obligation to protect and defend those needing protection in the Holy Land.
So The Telegraph’s claim that Pope John Paul II apologized to Muslims for the Crusades is not true. Pope John Paul II apologized for those Christian who acted against the values of the Gospel message. It was in 2001 while visiting a Damascus mosque that Pope John Paul II said this: “For all the times that Muslims and Christians have offended one another, we need to seek forgiveness from the Almighty and to offer each other forgiveness."
The actions of a few should not vilify the actions of the many who acted in accordance with the Gospel. The Crusades had good and honorable aims, the Church stands by this. But yes, during the various campaigns crimes were committed by Christian Crusaders which the Church admits to too, and that is what Pope John Paul II was apologizing for. We should be proud not ashamed of our Western heritage, for Western self-hatred gets us nowhere. We have a duty to spread the truth about our rich history with others, especially when others are blind to the real truth.
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Kate Connolly. "Pope says sorry for crusaders' rampage in 1204." The Telegraph. 30 June 2004.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/1465857/Pope-says-sorry-for-crusaders-rampage-in-1204.html
"Franciscan University Presents: Myths About the Crusades." Franciscan University of Steubenville. 9 December 2014. Youtube.com
Robinson, Paul W. "Three myths about the crusades: what they mean for Christian witness." Concordia Journal 42, no. 1 (2016 2016): 28-40. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed March 10, 2018).
Andrea, Alfred J. "God's war: a new history of the crusades." Christianity Today 51, no. 7 (July 2007): 55-56. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed March 10, 2018).
Portnykh, Valentin L. "The Crusade Indulgence: Spiritual Rewards and the Theology of the Crusades, c. 1095-1216." The Catholic Historical Review 101, no. 4 (2015 2015): 912-913. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed March 10, 2018).
"Pope John Paul II Enters Mosque; Pleads Peace." ABC News. 6 May 2001.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=81117&page=1
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