[Craic] Ideological Colonization: reflection on Francis' apology to the indigenous of Canada in light of the passion narrative.

Sat Apr 9 16:20:42 PDT 2022

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Rev. Carmen Lansdowne, Very Rev. Stan McKay and Rev. Maggie Dieter. (Courtesy photo, Screenshot: The United Church of Canada/YouTube, Courtesy photo)
What do you think of Pope Francis’ apology to Indigenous people?
By Chloe Tejada
Hello, dear Broadview readers,

A week ago, Pope Francis apologized to an Indigenous delegation <https://broadview.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7bb561f7f940952a3aaf474c&id=99c176b27e&e=a469a56538> for the Catholic Church’s role in the residential schools that harmed generations of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in Canada.

“I want to say to you with all my heart: I am very sorry,” Francis said in Italian during his final meeting with the delegates. “And I join my brothers, the Canadian bishops, in asking your pardon.”

The Pope added he will come to Canada to help further the reconciliation process, although details of the visit have yet to be released.

The apology’s reception has been mixed <https://broadview.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7bb561f7f940952a3aaf474c&id=f1396d51fa&e=a469a56538>, and in the week since, much has been written and discussed in relation to the historic event, with some applauding the Pope for this important step toward reconciliation, and others saying it’s not enough without action.

“Apologies can be hollow if they’re only words,” said Chief Jason Henry <https://broadview.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7bb561f7f940952a3aaf474c&id=14619e4076&e=a469a56538> of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, northeast of Sarnia, via CBC News. “Actions do speak louder than words, so that’s what I’m hoping for,” he said, adding that he would like to see the Catholic Church help finance the reinstatement of Indigenous languages, identity, culture, theology and worldviews.
Others felt relief upon hearing words they’d been hoping to hear for decades.

“I hoped for it. I prayed for it. I dreamt for it. But I never expected to live and see and feel it,” Chief Wilton Littlechild <https://broadview.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7bb561f7f940952a3aaf474c&id=7f4db2aff6&e=a469a56538> of Alberta’s Ermineskin First Nation told The Canadian Press.

While the apology from the Pope is an important one for Indigenous people to hear, it’s clear from the variety of reactions that there are further steps both Francis and the Catholic Church need to make to truly further reconciliation. 

Soon after the apology was made, Broadview’s editorial intern, Emily Standfield, reached out to three Indigenous United Church leaders — Rev. Carmen Lansdowne, executive director of First United Church Community Ministry Society; Very Rev. Stan McKay, the first Indigenous moderator of The United Church and Rev. Maggie Dieter, United Church minister and former United Church of Canada's executive minister, Indigenous ministries and justice — for their reaction. 

Read their thoughts here <https://broadview.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7bb561f7f940952a3aaf474c&id=f123b625b3&e=a469a56538>.

Let me know: what do you think of Pope Francis’ apology? Does it go far enough or does he need to do more to help further the reconciliation process? What would you like to see him do when he comes to Canada?

Please send me your thoughts, I’d love to read them.
Email me at c.tejada at broadview.org <mailto:c.tejada at broadview.org>.

Thanks for reading Broadview and take care, friends.

> On Apr 9, 2022, at 1:33 PM, Arthur Blomme via craic <craic at lists.integralshift.ca> wrote:
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> Hi All
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> I promised to send out the link to the Sunday community virtual Catholic liturgy Months ago but have been negligent in doing so.  
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> Below find my reflection on the text of the Popes apology for the treatment of the indigenous in Canada.  
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> Reflection: by Arthur Blomme
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>                                                            Ideological Colonization
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>  In recent weeks we are celebrating the long awaited apology of the Vatican for their treatment of indigenous and first nations of Canada.  Core to this apology is Francis' description of  the nature of the Church's sin in respect to their treatment of the indigenous.
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>   Yet that tree, rich in fruit, has experienced a tragedy that you described to me in these past days: the tragedy of being uprooted. The chain that passed on knowledge and ways of life in union with the land was broken by a colonization that lacked respect for you, tore many of you from your vital milieu and tried to conform you to another mentality. In this way, great harm was done to your identity and your culture, many families were separated, and great numbers of children fell victim to these attempts to impose a uniformity based on the notion that progress occurs through ideological colonization, following programmes devised in offices rather than the desire to respect the life of peoples. This is something that, unfortunately, and at various levels, still happens today: ideological colonization. How many forms of political, ideological and economic colonization still exist in the world, driven by greed and thirst for profit, with little concern for peoples, their histories and traditions, and the common home of creation! Sadly, this colonial mentality remains widespread. Let us help each other, together, to overcome it. (Pope Francis Apology for Residential schools)
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>  Francis here admits that the church participated in what some liberation theologians call the ideology of death.  The programs developed under this ideology did not  "respect the life of peoples".  Perhaps by understanding better the nature of this ideological sin we can better help each other as Francis says, overcome it.
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>  To demonstrate how deep this ideology of death exists in our world view one only has to consider what Matthew Fox calls the doctrine of discovery.  At a very deep level, the beliefs that make up our worldview include the belief that Columbus discovered America.  This belief is core to how we justify the colonization of much of the planet by Europe  and Christendom.  The individuals who founded the dominant Canadian Culture believed they were doing the right thing by destroying the Indian inside the child.
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>  As a species we have an innate reverence for hierarchy which includes a moral hot button for authority.  Many of our societies are structured with a small elite class  who control the behaviour and aspirations of a much larger group who serve the interests of the small elite.  The principle way that the masses are controlled is through ideology.  Ideology is a shared set of beliefs or a story, often referred to as a narrative which justifies the vision and outcomes desired by the elite.  Liberation theologians now recognize how the thinking of the church serve the elites in achieving their outcomes.  This added wisdom of church thought  leaders on how our faith can be manipulated into an ideology of death equips us to better develop a more fruitful relationship with creation.  At the same time the tools afforded by surveillance capitalism in the hands of wealthy oligarchies create a greater capacity for small elites to control larger groups, putting us in greater jeopardy to ideologies of death. Ideology is a component of  a  power relationship in which one group has power over the other .
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> The three gospel  passion narratives use the Gospel of Mark as a source.  In his gospel Mark identifies four sources of ideological "power over":  the Herodians(vassal authority of the Roman Empire),  the scribes and pharisees , the Sadducee  and  lastly, the zealots represented in the character of  Judas Iscariat.  These different ideological factions who are normally at war with each other join forces to do away with the decolonizing prophet, Jesus.
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