Canada Speaks Up With Catholic Church For Role In Residential Schools For Indigenous Children | International

The discovery in Canada of hundreds of unnamed bodies and graves at two former residential schools for Indigenous children has rekindled demands for the Pope to apologize to Indigenous groups for the role of the Catholic Church in several of these centers. However, claims on this occasion are reaching levels never seen before. Not just for the long-awaited apology; also for files and economical repairs.

On May 27, the discovery of the remains of 215 children was announced at the former residential school in Kamloops (province of British Columbia), a site that was operated by a Catholic congregation. This Thursday, Cadmus Delorme, responsible for the Cowessess reserve, reported the discovery of 751 anonymous graves on the grounds of the former Marieval boarding school (province of Saskatchewan). “It’s not a mass grave; These are nameless tombs, ”said Delorme. He also claimed that the Catholic Church removed the tombstones in the 1960s.

Kamloops and Marieval were part of the network of 139 Indigenous residential schools for minors that operated between 1883 and 1996. Some 150,000 children were forced to live in these federally funded centers run by religious groups (over 70% Catholic ). Neglect, corporal punishment, sexual violence and racism were common among them. In 2015, a commission called what happened in these institutions “cultural genocide”. The commission established in 2019 that at least 4,134 minors died in these centers. Other experts estimate the number to be well over 6,000.

In 2008, then Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized on behalf of Canadians to Indigenous groups for the damage caused by the internees. Anglican, Presbyterian and United Church of Canada authorities had done this years ago. In May 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Pope Francis to apologize. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a letter 11 months later stating: “After careful consideration of the request and after extensive dialogue with the Canadian bishops, [el Papa] he feels he cannot respond personally ”. Trudeau returned to the charge on June 4. “As a Catholic, I am deeply disappointed with the decision the Catholic Church has taken today and in recent years,” he said.

Two days later, Francis read a message about the discovery in Kamloops at the end of the Angelus’ prayer in the Vatican. He said he felt “hurt” by the discovery and “close to the Canadian people, who have been traumatized by the shocking news.” The Pope said: “The sad discovery makes us aware of the pains and sufferings of the past. May the political and religious authorities of Canada continue to work together with determination to bring to light the details of this sad story and humbly embark on a path of reconciliation and healing. “

Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Relations with Indigenous Groups, found Francisco’s words “insufficient”. Trudeau said: “Indigenous communities want and need an apology.” Perry Bellegarde, chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Canada, said several of its members are in talks with the bishops to meet with the Pope in Rome in November. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops confirmed these talks.

Jean-François Roussel, professor at the Institute of Religious Studies at the University of Montreal, comments: “The official argument regarding the lack of apologies is that the Catholic Church in Canada is not a legal entity. . Some dioceses and congregations took part in the courses, but the Pope cannot apologize for all these groups, ”he explains. “However, these groups report to Rome, they do not operate independently. I believe that the Pope will not go further than what the bishops’ conference tells him, ”he adds.

Massimo Faggioli, professor of theology at Villanova University (located in Pennsylvania), testified about Radio-Canada that the Catholic authorities are surely listening to their lawyers to avoid an accumulation of lawsuits for having insinuated some sort of responsibility with the apologies. Roussel affirms: “It is a constant opinion among observers, but not publicly recognized by the bishops. This is why it is emphasized that the Catholic Church in Canada does not exist ”.

Indigenous leaders are also demanding that the Church fully open its files to help clarify the deaths, a point Trudeau has requested at various times. This Friday, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (administrators of 48 of the former internships) announced that they would share all their files. Indigenous leaders are also asking the Catholic Church to cover the full amount pledged in the reparation agreements. Of the 25 million Canadian dollars established, they paid only 3.7 million.

There are critical voices within the Catholic womb itself. A petition signed by more than 5,600 people (priests, religious, professors of Catholic institutions, among others) asks the bishops to respond to the demands of indigenous communities. Michael Miller and Marcel Damphousse, Archbishops of Vancouver and Ottawa respectively, apologized and asked François to do the same. Roussel comments: “The issue of boarding schools has become very important. The bishops want to show unity, but voices that have thought differently for a long time are already beginning to be heard. There are differences with the official line, cracks are visible, messages to the hierarchy ”.

On June 13, strangers wrote “murderers” and “open files” on a wall in St. Augustine Parish (Vancouver). This Thursday, someone left hand marks in red paint and wrote “we were children” on the front door of Saskatoon Cathedral. In the early hours of June 21, two Catholic temples located on Indian reservations in British Columbia were burned down. They are under investigation by the Canadian Mounted Police for “arson”. In a statement, the police said that although they are “sensitive to recent events”, they cannot speculate on the motives.