Roman Catholic Church for Pope Francis’s refusal to apologize for the role of the Catholic Church in the physical and sexual abuses committed in Indian Residential schools under their control
| Why? |
| March 27, 2018 – Refusal of Pope Francis to apologize for the role in operating and managing up to 60% of the Residential schools in Canada. Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops stated that the pope could not “personally” apologize. “The Catholic Church is the only church that has not formally apologized to the survivors. Perry Bellegarde, National Chief for the AFN, Dec. 16, 2015” |
| Comment |
| May 2, 2018 – Parliament of Canada votes 269 to 10 across all party lines to call on Pope Francis to apologize for the Catholic Church’s role in the Indigenous Residential School system and also to call on the Catholic Church to “resume best efforts” to raise funds as agreed in the 2006 settlement deal between residential school students, religious groups that ran the schools and the federal government. The motion also asked Catholic entities to make “consistent and sustained “efforts to provide documents from the schools to former students who want them. (Toronto Star) |
| Potential Solution |
| Issue an apology to the survivors of the Indian Residential Schools and accept full responsibility for the role of the Catholic Church |
Roman Catholic Church for failure to raise their share of fundraising targets to support Indigenous reconciliation programs and services
| Why? |
| Refusal to pay the $21.3M balance owing of the mandated $25M to be raised in a “best-efforts,” Canada-wide fundraising campaign by the four Church Parties to the Settlement Agreement. The Church managed to raise only $3.7M. The other church parties to the Settlement Agreement used all the required funds for Indigenous reconciliation programs and services. Except the Catholic Church. |
| Comment |
| Jan. 6, 2016 – As a result of the Catholic fundraising campaign falling more than 80 per cent short of its goal, a reimbursement has been made to the other church parties to the Settlement Agreement: · Anglican Church of Canada: $2.8M to apply to its ongoing Anglican Fund for Healing and Reconciliation, which runs reconciliation projects in remote aboriginal communities across Canada. · Presbyterian Church of Canada’s $1.3 million cash payment to apply to Indigenous programming · United Church of Canada: $2.2M reimbursement TBD at press time Catholic Register |
| Potential Solution |
Grey Nuns of Montreal Oblates of Grandin Province, St. Albert, Alberta the Sisters of St. Ann, Victoria and the Sisters of Charity of Providence, Edmonton for failure to turn over records to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation as per the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement
| Why? |
| June 1, 2018 – Some Catholic orders still withholding promised residential school records: · Grey Nuns: missing 3,000 photos and litigation records · Oblates of Grandin: missing historical records Sisters of St. Anne & Sisters of Charity: two Catholic orders refused to sign a waiver allowing Ottawa to transfer the records |
| Comment |
| June 1, 2018 – Grey Nuns want the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) at The University of Manitoba to bear all travel and associated costs to duplicate the records even though the court order from the Settlement Agreement requires all parties to turn over all records in their possession. Oblates of Grandin Province: NCTR waiting to receive what are known as codex historicus files — diary-like records — of life at residential schools St. Annes and Sister of Charity: cite historical inaccuracies in records as reason for refusal to comply. (CBC) |
| Potential Solution |
| Release all Residential School records in their possession as all the other parties to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement have done. |