Indian Residential Schools: Catholic Bishops Apologize for “Serious Abuse” in Facilities They Managed

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TORONTO – A major Canadian branch of the Catholic Church has apologized for the first time for the horrors that occurred in the residential schools it led for the federal government for more than a century.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) issued a statement Friday, acknowledging what he described as “serious abuse by some members of our Catholic community” in schools, as well as the “suppression of Indigenous languages, culture and spirituality” by the residential school system.

“With these Catholic entities who have been directly involved in the functioning of the schools and who have already offered their own most sincere apologies, we, the Catholic Bishops of Canada, express our deep remorse and we apologize unequivocally,” the statement read. .

Additionally, the bishops referred to an upcoming meeting previously announced between Pope Francis, residential school survivors and other Indigenous knowledge keepers in December. The bishops declared that this meeting would aim to determine how the Pope “can support our common desire to renew relations and to walk together on the path of hope in the years to come”.

The apology is an important step towards reconciliation, says Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, but adds that she falls short.

“The Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s calls to action demand that the Pope come to Canada to apologize,” she told CTV News Channel on Friday. “It is very important that he comes here and not that First Nations, Métis and Inuit delegations have to come to Rome. It is an unnecessary step.

While the apology acknowledges the abuse suffered by Indigenous children, Blackstock is skeptical whether the lessons of the past have been heeded.

“It is not clear to me that there has been any real deliberate learning within the church about wrongdoing, even after the schools have closed,” she said, citing “their evasiveness in acceptance of responsibility, their legal maneuvers so that they do not have to meet their indemnification obligations.

As part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the church initially agreed to raise $ 25 million for survivors. In the end, less than $ 4 million was paid.

Blackstock added that the Government of Canada must step up its efforts and address the lingering issues currently plaguing Indigenous communities across the country.

There were 139 residential schools in the federally funded program, which operated in Canada between the late 19th century and 1996. Many of these were run by the Catholic Church.

Thousands of the 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children who attended these schools have died, with some estimates placing the death toll at 15,000. Hundreds of anonymous graves were found at the sites of several former residential schools earlier this year. ; in some cases, the number of children buried at the sites is believed to be several times higher than the official death toll.

While priests and bishops have apologized for the church’s role in running schools, there had never been a formal apology from the Canadian Catholic hierarchy until Friday. The Vatican has also never officially apologized, despite calls to do so.

The Catholic Church has been criticized, notably by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for not providing full access to documents relating to residential schools. The bishops said in their statement that they “will continue the work of providing documents or records that will aid in the commemoration of those buried in anonymous graves.”

The CCCB said that in addition to existing initiatives to promote healing and reconciliation, it will launch new fundraising initiatives in every region of the country “to support locally discerned initiatives with indigenous partners.”

The bishops also pledged to enter “a new era of reconciliation” by inviting residential school survivors and other Indigenous peoples to share their stories with Canadian Catholics.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will be celebrated for the first time on September 30.

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If you are a former residential school student in distress or have been affected by the residential school system and need assistance, you can contact the 24 hour residential schools crisis line: 1-866-925- 4419

Additional Aboriginal mental health support and resources are available here.

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