Pope Francis apologizes to Indigenous residential school survivors
July 25, 2022 8:31 AM Subscribe
Pope Francis arrived in Canada on June 22, 2022 to apologize to Indigenous residential school survivors for the Church’s role in widespread abuse of children. The Canadian residential school system was a federal system of genocide in place from the 1880s to 1996. The Catholic Church ran the majority of institutions and by 1998 was the only major church involved that had not officially apologized. It was not until April 1, 2022, that the Pope officially apologized to a delegation of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people. Now, he has travelled to Canada to deliver an apology on Indigenous land. Responses from Indigenous survivors and descendants are mixed. (Warning for all links: physical, emotional, sexual abuse; genocide; racism; manslaughter and murder)
About 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were taken from their families and abused in these “schools.” The Government of Canada, with the help of the RCMP, forcibly separated children from their families, punished them for speaking their languages and practicing their cultural traditions, and enabled decades of abuse and death at the hands of the priests, nuns, and others who ran the schools. The exact number of children’s deaths in residential schools is unknown, because some deaths were never recorded, the Canadian government deliberately destroyed thousands of records, and the Vatican will not release its records. However, the number is conservatively estimated to be at least 4000.
Previously on Metafilter:
Remains of 215 children confirmed at former residential school in Kamloops
“…the darkest, most troubling chapters in our collective history”…
If you are a survivor or family member of a survivor and need help, please contact the Residential School Hotline at 1-800-721-0066.
About 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were taken from their families and abused in these “schools.” The Government of Canada, with the help of the RCMP, forcibly separated children from their families, punished them for speaking their languages and practicing their cultural traditions, and enabled decades of abuse and death at the hands of the priests, nuns, and others who ran the schools. The exact number of children’s deaths in residential schools is unknown, because some deaths were never recorded, the Canadian government deliberately destroyed thousands of records, and the Vatican will not release its records. However, the number is conservatively estimated to be at least 4000.
Previously on Metafilter:
Remains of 215 children confirmed at former residential school in Kamloops
“…the darkest, most troubling chapters in our collective history”…
If you are a survivor or family member of a survivor and need help, please contact the Residential School Hotline at 1-800-721-0066.
The thing that's most pissing me off about this is the costs related to the visit. I found a CTV article that said the Archdiocese of Edmonton managed to fundraise $15-18 million for this papal visit, but all the Archdioceses in Canada, couldn't come up with the $25 million in settlement money. They have sort of recommitted to raising the money, but haven't actually raised it yet.
And then various levels of government are putting in millions of dollars of money to make this visit possible, as well.
I hope the Indigenous people who have asked for this apology find the comfort that they seek from the visit.
And then I hope that every Catholic person in Canada stops tithing until the settlement amount is paid in full.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:57 AM on July 25, 2022 [64 favorites]
And then various levels of government are putting in millions of dollars of money to make this visit possible, as well.
I hope the Indigenous people who have asked for this apology find the comfort that they seek from the visit.
And then I hope that every Catholic person in Canada stops tithing until the settlement amount is paid in full.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:57 AM on July 25, 2022 [64 favorites]
The Catholic Church ought to be funding state-of-the-art schools for indigenous children, including decent salaries for teachers, with absolutely no involvement in how they are run, until the end of time.
posted by kokaku at 9:02 AM on July 25, 2022 [42 favorites]
posted by kokaku at 9:02 AM on July 25, 2022 [42 favorites]
Thanks for the post, hurdy gurdy girl.
From the links: “I believe that once the Pope is gone, and the media hype dies down, we will be forgotten again,” - Clinton John Marty
We have an obligation to make sure this well-grounded expectation does not come true.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 9:20 AM on July 25, 2022 [12 favorites]
From the links: “I believe that once the Pope is gone, and the media hype dies down, we will be forgotten again,” - Clinton John Marty
We have an obligation to make sure this well-grounded expectation does not come true.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 9:20 AM on July 25, 2022 [12 favorites]
the Archdiocese of Edmonton managed to fundraise $15-18 million for this papal visit, but all the Archdioceses in Canada, couldn't come up with the $25 million in settlement money
That does put into sharp focus what the real purpose of this trip is.
posted by piyushnz at 9:29 AM on July 25, 2022 [19 favorites]
That does put into sharp focus what the real purpose of this trip is.
posted by piyushnz at 9:29 AM on July 25, 2022 [19 favorites]
It may only be the beginning of the conversation. (In fact, I hope it is.) But one thing I'm pretty sure about is that there is no way in hell this would be happening if Ratzinger were still pope.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:37 AM on July 25, 2022 [12 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:37 AM on July 25, 2022 [12 favorites]
Propaganda. Absolutely shameful to spend all this money on one person visiting instead of making things right with communities. I understand wanting an apology and why he was asked to visit and how this will be healing for some people. I don’t discount the wide range of experience. But an apology with no action is despicable.
posted by Bottlecap at 9:39 AM on July 25, 2022 [12 favorites]
posted by Bottlecap at 9:39 AM on July 25, 2022 [12 favorites]
I think it's symbolic, and a generally good sign, but it absolutely should be accompanied by significant funds and a commitment to continue funding.
posted by theora55 at 9:41 AM on July 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 9:41 AM on July 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
The Catholic Church is hoarding billions of dollars, I hope they can put some of it to use to help the victims of their crimes.
posted by chaz at 9:42 AM on July 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by chaz at 9:42 AM on July 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
The Catholic Church should be sued by their many victims down to the foundations of all the real estate they so dearly adore, and reduced to begging for alms on the street so they can be more like the Christ they declare their allegiance too.
It would be good for their spiritual development.
posted by signal at 10:06 AM on July 25, 2022 [14 favorites]
It would be good for their spiritual development.
posted by signal at 10:06 AM on July 25, 2022 [14 favorites]
The tactic for reparations seems to be to make sympathetic conciliatory 'thoughts and prayers' noises but to more importantly isolate any damage claims at the archdiocese level and sell off local assets while protecting the national organization. This is what's happening in eastern Newfoundland in the wake of the Mount Cashel orphanage abuse scandal, which is a totally separate issue from the residential schools atrocities but still features a pattern of decades-long child abuse and institutional coverups committed in collaboration with local government authorities.
posted by hangashore at 10:19 AM on July 25, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by hangashore at 10:19 AM on July 25, 2022 [6 favorites]
It's important to remember that this visit is #58 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action (though of course it comes late):
We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to Survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools. We call for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology issued to Irish victims of abuse and to occur within one year of the issuing of this Report and to be delivered by the Pope in Canada.posted by the fringe of the flame at 10:33 AM on July 25, 2022 [35 favorites]
The bloody absolute least they could do.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:41 AM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:41 AM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
Two recent podcasts telling these stories are CBC’s Kuper Island (told by Duncan McCue), and Gimlet’s Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s (told by Connie Walker of the Missing&Murdered series, previously). Harrowing, both very necessary and deeply thought-through tellings of events that must never be forgotten, or repeated.
posted by progosk at 10:54 AM on July 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by progosk at 10:54 AM on July 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
The Catholic church ran 60% of residential schools.
The Catholic church and others were already sued and settled. There were three components of the settlement for the Catholic church: a "$25-million fundraising campaign, the church was required to pay $29 million in cash with strict criteria for its use...[and] the church was also allowed to meet its final $25-million commitment with "in-kind services."
Of those:
- Millions meant for residential school survivors spent on Catholic Church lawyers, administration: documents
- Catholic Church dedicated nearly $300M for buildings since promising residential school survivors $25M in 2005 (their "best efforts" raised only $3.9M)
- Advocates shocked by Catholic list claiming $28M of 'in-kind' help for residential school survivors ("The list includes bible-study programs, placement of priests and nuns in remote northern communities, services under the frequently used label of "religiosity" and religious-document translation. "It's distressing to see this. This is ordinary church religious work repackaged as in-kind services and reconciliation. This is not legitimate," said Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, a former judge and director of the University of British Columbia's Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre."
The Catholic church was the only church party to fail to meet its obligations under the settlement agreement.
The Pope refused to apologize for years, citing the independence of dioceses. The Pope's previous apology in April was "For the deplorable conduct of these members of the Catholic Church, I ask for God’s forgiveness" – not recognizing the institutions which perpetuated this system for decades.
Under intense public pressure, there was an agreement by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to try to raise $30M more, by January 2027. It remains to be seen if this will be done and if the manner in which it is spent will be meaningful or if it will resemble the in-kind services issue and lead to further damage.
Unless this apology is accompanied by a commitment to fulfil in good faith the conditions of the settlement agreement and meaningfully enact the calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Report, it will not be meaningful in my personal opinion. It seems that institutionally nothing has changed since the settlement agreement and calls to action.
The calls to action for church parties in full –
Church Apologies and Reconciliation
58. We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to Survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools. We call for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology issued to Irish victims of abuse and to occur within one
year of the issuing of this Report and to be delivered by the Pope in Canada.
59. We call upon church parties to the Settlement
Agreement to develop ongoing education strategies
to ensure that their respective congregations learn
about their church’s role in colonization, the history
and legacy of residential schools, and why apologies to former residential school students, their families, and communities were necessary.
60. We call upon leaders of the church parties to the
Settlement Agreement and all other faiths, in
collaboration with Indigenous spiritual leaders,
Survivors, schools of theology, seminaries, and other
religious training centres, to develop and teach
curriculum for all student clergy, and all clergy and
staff who work in Aboriginal communities, on the need to respect Indigenous spirituality in its own right, the history and legacy of residential schools and the roles of the church parties in that system, the history and legacy of religious conflict in Aboriginal families and communities, and the responsibility that churches have to mitigate such conflicts and prevent spiritual violence.
61. We call upon church parties to the Settlement
Agreement, in collaboration with Survivors and
representatives of Aboriginal organizations, to establish permanent funding to Aboriginal people for:
i. Community-controlled healing and reconciliation
projects.
ii. Community-controlled culture- and language-
revitalization projects.
iii. Community-controlled education and relationship-
building projects.
iv. Regional dialogues for Indigenous spiritual leaders and youth to discuss Indigenous spirituality, self-determination, and reconciliation.
posted by lookoutbelow at 10:59 AM on July 25, 2022 [40 favorites]
The Catholic church and others were already sued and settled. There were three components of the settlement for the Catholic church: a "$25-million fundraising campaign, the church was required to pay $29 million in cash with strict criteria for its use...[and] the church was also allowed to meet its final $25-million commitment with "in-kind services."
Of those:
- Millions meant for residential school survivors spent on Catholic Church lawyers, administration: documents
- Catholic Church dedicated nearly $300M for buildings since promising residential school survivors $25M in 2005 (their "best efforts" raised only $3.9M)
- Advocates shocked by Catholic list claiming $28M of 'in-kind' help for residential school survivors ("The list includes bible-study programs, placement of priests and nuns in remote northern communities, services under the frequently used label of "religiosity" and religious-document translation. "It's distressing to see this. This is ordinary church religious work repackaged as in-kind services and reconciliation. This is not legitimate," said Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, a former judge and director of the University of British Columbia's Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre."
The Catholic church was the only church party to fail to meet its obligations under the settlement agreement.
The Pope refused to apologize for years, citing the independence of dioceses. The Pope's previous apology in April was "For the deplorable conduct of these members of the Catholic Church, I ask for God’s forgiveness" – not recognizing the institutions which perpetuated this system for decades.
Under intense public pressure, there was an agreement by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to try to raise $30M more, by January 2027. It remains to be seen if this will be done and if the manner in which it is spent will be meaningful or if it will resemble the in-kind services issue and lead to further damage.
Unless this apology is accompanied by a commitment to fulfil in good faith the conditions of the settlement agreement and meaningfully enact the calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Report, it will not be meaningful in my personal opinion. It seems that institutionally nothing has changed since the settlement agreement and calls to action.
The calls to action for church parties in full –
Church Apologies and Reconciliation
58. We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to Survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools. We call for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology issued to Irish victims of abuse and to occur within one
year of the issuing of this Report and to be delivered by the Pope in Canada.
59. We call upon church parties to the Settlement
Agreement to develop ongoing education strategies
to ensure that their respective congregations learn
about their church’s role in colonization, the history
and legacy of residential schools, and why apologies to former residential school students, their families, and communities were necessary.
60. We call upon leaders of the church parties to the
Settlement Agreement and all other faiths, in
collaboration with Indigenous spiritual leaders,
Survivors, schools of theology, seminaries, and other
religious training centres, to develop and teach
curriculum for all student clergy, and all clergy and
staff who work in Aboriginal communities, on the need to respect Indigenous spirituality in its own right, the history and legacy of residential schools and the roles of the church parties in that system, the history and legacy of religious conflict in Aboriginal families and communities, and the responsibility that churches have to mitigate such conflicts and prevent spiritual violence.
61. We call upon church parties to the Settlement
Agreement, in collaboration with Survivors and
representatives of Aboriginal organizations, to establish permanent funding to Aboriginal people for:
i. Community-controlled healing and reconciliation
projects.
ii. Community-controlled culture- and language-
revitalization projects.
iii. Community-controlled education and relationship-
building projects.
iv. Regional dialogues for Indigenous spiritual leaders and youth to discuss Indigenous spirituality, self-determination, and reconciliation.
posted by lookoutbelow at 10:59 AM on July 25, 2022 [40 favorites]
The Catholic Church is directly responsible for so MANY systematic human rights abuses it was practically a global concentration camp company for the last several centuries. A disastrous organization.
I say this as someone whose ancestors were also victimized on another continent.
posted by bleep at 11:03 AM on July 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
I say this as someone whose ancestors were also victimized on another continent.
posted by bleep at 11:03 AM on July 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
More from Indigenous Watchdog on what a meaningful apology would look like. Rescinding the papal bulls supporting the Doctrine of Discovery is one.
posted by lookoutbelow at 11:13 AM on July 25, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by lookoutbelow at 11:13 AM on July 25, 2022 [6 favorites]
An apology? How about reparations. Sell a few of those pointy gold hats and pay up.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 11:16 AM on July 25, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 11:16 AM on July 25, 2022 [7 favorites]
I can’t believe that we allow this organization to attach its name to half of our publicly funded school system here in Ontario. Boggles the mind.
posted by davey_darling at 12:18 PM on July 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by davey_darling at 12:18 PM on July 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
I'd like to see work done on learning to tell-- from the inside-- whether an institution is still committing atrocities, and what to do to stop them.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 12:44 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 12:44 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
The Catholic church and others were already sued and settled. There were three components of the settlement for the Catholic church: a "$25-million fundraising campaign, the church was required to pay $29 million in cash with strict criteria for its use...[and] the church was also allowed to meet its final $25-million commitment with "in-kind services."
That settlement is waaaaaaaay too low. Look to what the Boy Scouts got held to for their sex abuse offenses: $2.7 billion dollars. And the Catholic church has a lot more assets than the Scouts ever did, over many more centuries.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:10 PM on July 25, 2022 [14 favorites]
That settlement is waaaaaaaay too low. Look to what the Boy Scouts got held to for their sex abuse offenses: $2.7 billion dollars. And the Catholic church has a lot more assets than the Scouts ever did, over many more centuries.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:10 PM on July 25, 2022 [14 favorites]
Here's an article focusing on the finances of the Sisters of Saint Ann.
In it, they quote Sister Norma Jeffs, a teacher in a variety of Residential and Day Schools, saying in 1979(!):
The whole 1979 interview with Jeffs is found here, for those interested.
posted by Rumple at 2:21 PM on July 25, 2022 [9 favorites]
In it, they quote Sister Norma Jeffs, a teacher in a variety of Residential and Day Schools, saying in 1979(!):
Norma: This is it. We were forcing our culture and our religion. But we did it in the name of Christianity, and we've done a lot of harm. And I know most people, you know, that have worked with them admit now what we did was wrong and we're trying to make that up. I don't know whether we ever will.The Sisters, who were involved in more than 20 schools, have been blocking access to their archives for many years, and only recently (summer 2022) have surrendered some control to the archives, which are essential for identifying missing children at many of their schools, including Tkemlups, Williams Lake, and at Duncan on Vancouver Island. As the article linked above shows, they have vast investments, very few members, and are not living up to their own commitments to truth, let alone reconciliation.
The whole 1979 interview with Jeffs is found here, for those interested.
posted by Rumple at 2:21 PM on July 25, 2022 [9 favorites]
Erin Blondeau: " A ‘Walk Together’ or an ‘Erasure Tour’? Many Indigenous people view the Pope’s visit through wary eyes as they experience the ‘generational trauma’ imposed by his church."
posted by Rumple at 2:37 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Rumple at 2:37 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Both welcome and entirely insufficient.
The Catholic Church is directly responsible for so MANY systematic human rights abuses it was practically a global concentration camp company for the last several centuries.
Not to pile on, but as I'm fond of saying, "no human invention has caused more death and suffering than the words of the Bible."
posted by rhizome at 3:22 PM on July 25, 2022 [9 favorites]
The Catholic Church is directly responsible for so MANY systematic human rights abuses it was practically a global concentration camp company for the last several centuries.
Not to pile on, but as I'm fond of saying, "no human invention has caused more death and suffering than the words of the Bible."
posted by rhizome at 3:22 PM on July 25, 2022 [9 favorites]
Both welcome and entirely insufficient.
I couldn’t have put it better, rhizome.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:38 PM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
I couldn’t have put it better, rhizome.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:38 PM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
Full text of the apology is here
on edit: sorry didn't notice this link in the original post - my bad.
posted by piyushnz at 4:38 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
on edit: sorry didn't notice this link in the original post - my bad.
posted by piyushnz at 4:38 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
New pope is not as bad as awful last pope, so that's nice I guess.
It's interesting to see him try to save their church, and he seems kind of cool, but the truth is that most of the world is done with their repeated, ongoing, and systemic abuse of women, children, and people of color. Not to mention their opulent wealth built on the backs of the poor.
But, the pageantry is kind of nice, right?
We are not supposed to lambast people for trying to do the right thing, but we are also cautioned to not cheer a lesser evil as a good...
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:38 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
It's interesting to see him try to save their church, and he seems kind of cool, but the truth is that most of the world is done with their repeated, ongoing, and systemic abuse of women, children, and people of color. Not to mention their opulent wealth built on the backs of the poor.
But, the pageantry is kind of nice, right?
We are not supposed to lambast people for trying to do the right thing, but we are also cautioned to not cheer a lesser evil as a good...
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:38 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
It's a well-written apology, but it also seemed to me to disavow the Pope's need to be involved in any practical steps (kind of like 'hope someone works that out').
As for the settlement amount - the government covered almost all of the residential schools settlement payouts. The churches ran the schools at the government's request using its money as part of the government's genocidal agenda, so it's the government who was the worst actor here. Not that the churches don't also deserve lots of blame. The Wikipedia article on the settlement is remarkably detailed though I'm sure skewed in some way or another.
posted by lookoutbelow at 9:08 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
As for the settlement amount - the government covered almost all of the residential schools settlement payouts. The churches ran the schools at the government's request using its money as part of the government's genocidal agenda, so it's the government who was the worst actor here. Not that the churches don't also deserve lots of blame. The Wikipedia article on the settlement is remarkably detailed though I'm sure skewed in some way or another.
posted by lookoutbelow at 9:08 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Any apology by the Catholic church which does not include the posthumous excommunication/abomination of all parties involved in the atrocities committed against the First Nations people, as well as the complete dissolution of of the churches/parishes/diocese in the region, the arrest and imprisonment of all church members still alive who have ever been charged with child abuse, and reparations of not less than the entire gross value of all church holdings in Canada, is woefully insufficient.
posted by JohnFromGR at 3:25 AM on July 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by JohnFromGR at 3:25 AM on July 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
Is posthumous excommunication possible?
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 7:46 AM on July 26, 2022
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 7:46 AM on July 26, 2022
Is posthumous excommunication possible?
There's precedent but it's very silly and subsequently overturned: the cadaver synod resulted in posthumous retroactive de-popification.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 8:22 AM on July 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
There's precedent but it's very silly and subsequently overturned: the cadaver synod resulted in posthumous retroactive de-popification.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 8:22 AM on July 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
The only apology that would actually be constructive would include forswearing the misogyny and homophobia that have directly caused so much evil in the Church.
posted by Bee'sWing at 10:25 AM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Bee'sWing at 10:25 AM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Kukpi7 Judy Wilson, Chief of the Neskonlith, calls for retraction of the doctrine of discovery and other historical Papal edicts, as well as stressing the importance of opening all relevant archives to untangle the threads of so many missing children.
posted by Rumple at 11:41 AM on July 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Rumple at 11:41 AM on July 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
Murray Sinclair had this to say today:
Sinclair said it's important to highlight that the Catholic Church was not just an agent of the state, but "a lead co-author of the darkest chapters in the history of the land."
Sinclair says Catholic leaders who were driven by the Doctrine of Discovery — a 15th-century papal edict that justified colonial expansion by allowing Europeans to claim Indigenous lands as their own — as well as other church beliefs and policies enabled the government of Canada, and pushed it further in its work to commit what the TRC called the cultural genocide carried out on Indigenous people in Canada.
That was often "not just a collaboration, but an instigation," he said.
"There are clear examples in our history where the church called for the government of Canada to be more aggressive and bold in its work to destroy Indigenous culture, traditional practices and beliefs," Sinclair's statement said.
"It was more than the work of a few bad actors — this was a concerted institutional effort to remove children from their families and cultures, all in the name of Christian supremacy."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:52 PM on July 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
Sinclair said it's important to highlight that the Catholic Church was not just an agent of the state, but "a lead co-author of the darkest chapters in the history of the land."
Sinclair says Catholic leaders who were driven by the Doctrine of Discovery — a 15th-century papal edict that justified colonial expansion by allowing Europeans to claim Indigenous lands as their own — as well as other church beliefs and policies enabled the government of Canada, and pushed it further in its work to commit what the TRC called the cultural genocide carried out on Indigenous people in Canada.
That was often "not just a collaboration, but an instigation," he said.
"There are clear examples in our history where the church called for the government of Canada to be more aggressive and bold in its work to destroy Indigenous culture, traditional practices and beliefs," Sinclair's statement said.
"It was more than the work of a few bad actors — this was a concerted institutional effort to remove children from their families and cultures, all in the name of Christian supremacy."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:52 PM on July 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
OT, but I just realized the other day that when people say, "The Pope" instead of "Pope Francis," my automatic reaction is, "Wait, didn't The Pope die like, twenty years ago?" It's the same cognitive dissonance that hits me every time I realize I'll probably live the majority of my life in the 21st century.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:13 PM on July 28, 2022
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:13 PM on July 28, 2022
Canada agreed to 'forever discharge' Catholic entities from raising $25M for residential school survivors:
Canada agreed to "forever discharge" Catholic entities from their promise to raise $25 million for residential school survivors and also picked up their legal bill, a final release document shows.
The Canadian Press obtained a signed copy of the 2015 agreement through federal access-to-information laws, marking what appears to be the first time the document has been widely publicized.
"That's a very, very important set of records," said Ry Moran, an associate librarian at the University of Victoria and founding director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
"Like all questions around accountability, the question is, 'Who made the decision? How was that decision made? Who ultimately signed off on this?' "
Then there's this...
As Vatican says 'no grounds' to investigate Ouellet, questions raised over handling of complaint
The "apology" tour was actually a victory lap, wasn't it?
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:33 PM on August 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Canada agreed to "forever discharge" Catholic entities from their promise to raise $25 million for residential school survivors and also picked up their legal bill, a final release document shows.
The Canadian Press obtained a signed copy of the 2015 agreement through federal access-to-information laws, marking what appears to be the first time the document has been widely publicized.
"That's a very, very important set of records," said Ry Moran, an associate librarian at the University of Victoria and founding director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
"Like all questions around accountability, the question is, 'Who made the decision? How was that decision made? Who ultimately signed off on this?' "
Then there's this...
As Vatican says 'no grounds' to investigate Ouellet, questions raised over handling of complaint
The "apology" tour was actually a victory lap, wasn't it?
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:33 PM on August 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
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This certainly doesn't close the book on the issue, and I would expect that opening up church records will be the next step by a pope who seems to be facing up to the problem and not turning the blind eye of his predecessors.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:53 AM on July 25, 2022 [8 favorites]