Catholic Bishops of Canada apologize to Indigenous peoples over residential schools

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This article was published 23/09/2021 (1191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A prominent branch of the Catholic Church in Canada has apologized “unequivocally” to Indigenous Peoples for the Church’s role in abuses committed at the country’s residential schools.

In a statement issued Friday, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) acknowledged “the grave abuses” committed at the schools “by some members of our Catholic community,” abuses it said were “physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and sexual.”

While asserting that other Catholic groups involved in operating the schools had “already offered their own heartfelt apologies,” the statement said “we, the Catholic Bishops of Canada, express our profound remorse and apologize unequivocally.”

Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald said she felt “conflicted” reading the statement.

“On one hand, their unequivocal apology is welcomed,” she said in a statement, describing the schools as “institutions of assimilation and genocide.”

“This was a crime against humanity and a crime against our children,” she said.

But Archibald expressed disappointment the bishops hadn’t formally requested the Pope visit Canada to make an apology in person, which was one of the calls to action of the landmark Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

“The words of the apology speak to a commitment by the Catholic Church to the healing path forward with First Nations and Indigenous peoples. Only time will tell if concrete actions will follow,” she said.

The bishops’ statement follows years of pressure from First Nations leaders, residential school survivors, and politicians who urged the Church to accept greater responsibility for its role in the mistreatment of children at the schools, which operated in Canada from the 1870s to the 1990s. Various church groups ran the institutions on behalf of the Canadian government, but one Catholic order oversaw nearly half of them.

Pressure on the Church intensified this summer after First Nations uncovered evidence of hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential school sites.

Asked for his response to the apology, Chief Cadmus Delorme of Cowessess First Nation said he would need to consult with school survivors. In June, his First Nation in Saskatchewan reported evidence of as many as 751 unmarked graves at the former site of Marieval Indian Residential School, which operated in the area from 1898 until 1997, most of that time under the Catholic Church.

“I will be following up with survivors as to their action plans moving forward, to assure survivors are (included) to bring truth and get stronger one day at a time,” Delorme said in a statement.

According to the CCCB, its apology followed months of conversations with First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders and communities.

The statement from the organization, which is a national assembly of bishops founded in 1943, said the school system that Catholic communities and dioceses participated in “led to the suppression of Indigenous languages, culture and spirituality,” and inflicted “historical and ongoing trauma” that causes suffering among Indigenous people “to this day.”

In addition to apologizing, the bishops committed to providing documentation that would “assist in the memorialization of those buried in unmarked graves.” They also promised fundraising campaigns across Canada to address initiatives developed in consultation with Indigenous partners.

The church has faced heavy criticism for refusing to provide all documents requested by the TRC and raising less than one-sixth of the $25 million promised for reconciliation and healing as part of the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

Pope Francis is set to meet with Indigenous leaders from Canada in Rome in December, but the CCCB pledged to “work with the Holy See and our Indigenous partners on the possibility of a pastoral visit by the Pope to Canada as part of this healing journey.”

National Chief Archibald said she would “continue to press Pope Francis to offer his apology, in person, here on our sacred lands.”

With files from The Canadian Press

Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation for the Star. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr

Kevin Jiang is a Toronto-based digital producer for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @crudelykevin