Canada raises voice with Catholic Church for its role in boarding schools for tribal children | International

Discovery in Canada From Hundreds of bodies and graves The unnamed two former boarding schools for tribal children have renewed the demands Papa Apologize to indigenous groups for the role of the Catholic Church in many of these centers. However, the claims of this case reach a level never seen before. Not only for the long-awaited apology; For files and economic repairs.

On May 27, the remains of 215 children were found at the old boarding school Kamloops (British Columbia Province), a site managed by a Catholic church. This Thursday, Covmus Reserve Chairman Catmus Delorm announced the discovery. 751 Cemeteries Not marked on the basis of the former Marival Boarding School (Saskatchewan Province). “It is not a mass grave; They are unnamed graves, ”Delorm said. He also said the Catholic Church had removed graves in the 1960s.

Kamloops and Marival were part of a network of 139 boarding schools for the tribe operating between 1883 and 1996. About 150,000 children were forced to live in these centers, funded by the federal government and run by religious groups (more than 70% Catholics). Neglect, corporal punishment, sexual violence and racism are common among them. In 2015, a commission categorized what happened in these companies “Cultural Genocide”. The commission established in 2019 that at least 4,134 miners had died in these centers. Other experts estimate the number at more than 6,000.

In 2008, the then Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, Apologized to domestic groups on behalf of Canadians. Officials from the Anglican, Presbyterian and United Church of Canada had done so years ago. In May 2017, the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Pope Francis apologized. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a letter 11 months later: “After careful consideration of the request, after extensive discussions with Canadian bishops, [el Papa] He feels he can’t respond personally. ” Trudeau returned to court on June 4. “As a Catholic, I am very disappointed with the decision that the Catholic Church has made now and in recent years,” he said.

Two days later, at the end of Angeles’ prayer at the Vatican, Francis read the news of the discovery in the Kamloops. He said he was “hurt” by the discovery and “close to the Canadian people who were shocked by the shocking news.” Pope Benedict XVI said: “The tragic discovery makes us feel the pain and suffering of the past. May the political and religious authorities of Canada continue to work resolutely to bring to light the details of this tragic story and humbly engage themselves in the path of reconciliation and healing. “

Minister of Relations with Indigenous Groups Caroline Bennett considered Francisco’s words “not enough.” Trudeau said: “Indigenous communities need to apologize.” Perry Bellicard, Speaker of Canada’s first legislature, said many of its members were in talks with bishops to meet with the pope in Rome in November. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has confirmed those talks.

Jean-Franசois Russell, a professor at the University of Montreal Institute for Religious Studies, comments: “The official argument for non-apology is that the Catholic Church in Canada is not a legal entity. Some dioceses and congregations participated in the internship, but the pope could not apologize to all of these groups, ”he explains. However, these groups report to Rome that they do not treat themselves independently. I hope the pope will not go further than the Bishops’ Conference pointed out to him, ”he added.

Massimo Fogioli, professor of theology at the University of Villanova (based in Pennsylvania) testified CBC Catholic authorities certainly ask their lawyers to avoid accumulating lawsuits to assert some kind of responsibility with forgiveness. Russell confirms: “This is a consistent opinion among the audience, but it has not been publicly recognized by the bishops. That is why it is emphasized that there is no Catholic Church in Canada. ”

Tribal leaders also demanded that the Church fully open its records to clarify the deaths, which Trudeau demanded at various points. This Friday, it was announced that Mary Immaculate (48 executives in a former internship) will be sharing their files. Tribal leaders are also demanding that the Catholic Church repay the total amount promised in the compensation agreements. Of the $ 25 million installed, they paid only $ 3.7 million.

There are critical voices on the Catholic chest. A petition signed by more than 5,600 people (priests, professors of religious and Catholic institutions, and others) is asking bishops to address the claims of tribal communities. The Archbishops of Vancouver and Ottawa, respectively, Michael Miller and Marcel Dumbows, respectively, have apologized and asked Francis to do the same. Russell comments: “The problem of boarding schools has become huge. Bishops want to show unity, but for a long time differently thinking voices have already begun to be heard. There are differences with the official line, cracks are found, messages against the line ”.

On June 13, unknown individuals wrote “murderers” and “open files” on a wall in St. Augustine’s Church in Vancouver. This Thursday, a man left his handprints with red paint and wrote “We are children” on the front door of Saskatoon Cathedral. In the early hours of June 21, two Catholic temples located in the Indian reservation in British Columbia were consumed by flames. Canadian Mounted Police are investigating them as “arsonists”. In a statement, it pointed out that although this police force is “sensitive to recent events” its intentions cannot be guessed.