Should the Roman Catholic Church apologise to Canada?

The remains of thousands of indigenous children in schools run by the Roman Catholic Church were recently discovered in Canada. Will the Church ever properly apologise? Our analyst Ghila Amati tells us all about this issue in her weekly comment.

This article was written by Ghila Amati and reflects her personal analyses and opinions, rather than those of EARS.

Canada discovers children’s graves in schools
The remains of 215 indigenous children were found next to the biggest residential school in Canada – the Kamloops Indian Residential School – this May. A month later, the Indian Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan said it had discovered another 751 bodies next to the former Marieval Indian Residential School, which operated from 1899 to 1996 and was run by the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). A week later, the Lower Kootenay Band in British Columbia announced the findings of the remains of another 182 bodies near the former St Eugene’s Mission School. St Eugene’s was also run by the RCC from 1912 until the early 1970s.^{[1] [2]}

Residential schools and the RRC
Residential schools were boarding schools in the US and Canada, subsidised by the government as part of a policy of assimilation of indigenous children and with the goal of erasing the indigenous culture and language. These schools operated from the 19th century until the end of the 20th century. Attendance became mandatory for children from the 1920s and parents were threatened to go to prison if they failed to send their children to those schools. Children in the schools were not only forced to speak English or French, but also to convert to Christianity.^[3]

Approximately 150,000 First Nations – that is Canadian indigenous peoples – children were forced to attend residential schools and taken away from their families. According to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, 70% of these schools were managed by the Roman Catholic Church. It is estimated that thousands of children died there. Most of their bodies were never brought home and are now dispersed.^[4] The Assembly of First Nations National’s leader, Chief Bellegarde, stated that, “It was our government’s policy to ‘get rid of the Indian’ in the child, […] It was a breakdown of self, the breakdown of family, community and nation.”^[5] The Canadian government has confirmed that physical and sexual abuse were committed in residential schools. It appears that often students were abused and beaten for speaking their native language.^[6]

The landmark Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report, published in 2015, argued that the residential school policy was a cultural genocide.^[7]

Reaction after the findings
These new findings brought a burst of rage in Canada. Some churches have been vandalised. Besides the rage, after the discovery of the bodies, people made provisional memorials around the country.^{[8] [9]}

Yet, indigenous leaders were aware of these phenomena for ages and Chief Bellegarde argued that, while, “the outrage and the surprise from the general public is welcome, no question,[…] the report is not surprising.” He stated that survivors of residential schools have been telling about this for years but were always ignored.^[10]

Should the Roman Catholic Church apologise?
Since the Catholic Church was so involved in this difficult situation, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau asked – already in 2017 – for Pope Francis’ official apology.^[11] This cry was unanswered by the pope. In June 2021, Trudeau asked again as a result of these new findings. He stressed the importance of the pope coming to Canada to make the apology: “I have spoken personally directly with His Holiness Pope Francis to press upon him how important it is not just that he makes an apology but that he makes an apology to indigenous Canadians on Canadian soil.”^[12] Trudeau stated that he was strongly upset by the passive reaction of the RCC on this issue: “As a Catholic, I am deeply disappointed by the position that the Catholic Church has taken now and over the past many years.” The Church, according to the Canadian Prime Minister, is not stepping up and “it’s not showing the leadership that, quite frankly, is supposed to be at the core of our faith, of forgiveness, of responsibility, of acknowledging truth.”^[13]

The beginning of reconciliation?
While the pope has not accepted Trudeau’s proposal to go and apologise on Canadian soil, he has announced at the end of June – on the day of the discovery of the last 182 children’s graves in Canada – that he will host a group of indigenous people in the Vatican in December 2021.^[14] Is this the beginning of a process in which the Vatican is taking responsibility for the mistakes of the past? Or is it not enough?

It seems to me that Prime Minister Trudeau is right by asking the pope to come and apologise on Canadian soil. An official apology in Canada would be much more powerful than an encounter in the Vatican. This current act of the RCC is only partially consolatory. My hope is that it is only a first step towards real reconciliation.

This article was written by Ghila Amati and reflects her personal analyses and opinions, rather than those of EARS.

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^[1] Why Canada is mourning the deaths of hundreds of children

^[2] Canada: 751 unmarked graves found at residential school

^[3] Why Canada is mourning the deaths of hundreds of children

^[4] Why Canada is mourning the deaths of hundreds of children

^[5] Why Canada is mourning the deaths of hundreds of children

^[6] Justin Trudeau demands Catholic Church apologise following discovery of remains at church-run school

^[7] More churches burn down on Canada indigenous land

^[8] Burned churches stir deep Indigenous ambivalence over faith of forefathers

^[9] More churches burn down on Canada indigenous land

^[10] Why Canada is mourning the deaths of hundreds of children

^[11] Trudeau asks Pope Francis to apologise for schools

^[12]Trudeau says pope should apologize on Canadian soil for church role in residential schools

^[13]Trudeau says pope should apologize on Canadian soil for church role in residential schools

^[14] Canada, il Papa convoca gli indigeni nel giorno della scoperta di altre 182 tombe anonime