Why apologies matter: 'Words can move mountains'

Seeking a papal apology all these years later might seem a fool’s errand to some, but to David McCann, who’s been trying to get the Vatican to apologize for the abuse he and hundreds of others suffered at training schools in Ontario, it can be an important step toward healing.
“Words can mean absolutely nothing, and words can move mountains,” he says. “An apology is an acknowledgment that a wrong has occurred and that you can’t change it, but you are sorry tha