[Sundaycommunity] A recent letter of TO Archbishop

[Lee Piepgrass]

Thanks from me too, Roberto. I was unaware of much of this activity.

Lee

> On Jun 6, 2021, at 12:51 PM, Roberto J. via Sundaycommunity <sundaycommunity at lists.integralshift.ca> wrote:
> 
> I found this letter interesting even though I have not much real
> information of the details mentioned. It was send to all Holy Rosary
> parishioners that have their email registered at the parish.
> 
> 
> June 3, 2021
> 
> 
> “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it.” (1 Cor 12:26)
> 
> In recent days, the country has been shocked, saddened and angered by
> the discovery of the remains of 215 children in unmarked graves who
> attended a residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. We pray
> for the children who died in Kamloops and in residential schools
> throughout the country – they must not be forgotten. We must also
> recognize the betrayal of trust by many Catholic leaders who were
> responsible for operating residential schools, abandoning their
> obligation to care for young and innocent children.
> 
> We all seek the truth and this tragic discovery provides yet another
> opportunity for us to learn more about this dark chapter in our
> history and the painful journey experienced by so many of our
> Indigenous brothers and sisters.
> 
> There is much more work to be done. Since the 1990’s, many of the
> Catholic entities responsible for the operation of residential schools
> have apologized publicly for their actions and have journeyed together
> with victims on the path to truth and reconciliation. This includes
> the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the religious order that operated the
> residential school in Kamloops, which over the weekend again
> apologized for its role in the residential school system. Pope
> Benedict XVI also had the chance to meet with Indigenous leaders in
> 2009 to personally express his sorrow and anguish.
> 
> These actions do not erase our history; they acknowledge our past,
> force us to face the consequences of our behaviour and compel us to
> ensure that our sins are not repeated.
> 
> While the Archdiocese of Toronto did not operate residential schools,
> we join with the Indigenous peoples, the Catholic community and
> Canadians from coast to coast to coast in a period of collective grief
> for those who are physically, emotionally and spiritually wounded.
> This Sunday, I will offer Mass for those who died or were abused at
> residential schools and for all those who deal with the
> intergenerational trauma caused by this system. We must also continue
> to build on the tangible initiatives present throughout the country,
> like the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle, where bishops and priests,
> women religious, laity and Indigenous peoples are committed to walking
> together on a path to reconciliation.
> 
> As I have stated previously when speaking of abuse in the Church, the
> real scandal is when evil festers in the darkness. Once in the open,
> evil can be rooted out. That must happen. Then new life can begin. Let
> us journey together to find light through the darkness once again.
> 
> Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us.
> 
> Thomas Collins
> Archbishop of Toronto
> 
> Apology from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
> Additional resources from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
> Frequently Asked Questions re Catholic Organizations and Residential Schools
> 
> Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Residential Schools – June 2021
> 
> There has been considerable media coverage and discussion in recent
> days following the discovery of children’s remains at the former
> residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. The discovery has
> reopened a painful wound for many in our country and has identified
> the need for all Canadians to learn more about our history, the role
> of residential schools as part of that journey and to seek the truth
> regarding all those who suffered and continue to do so to this day.
> 
> The abuse of Indigenous peoples is a dark chapter in the history of
> Canada and the Catholic Church. While the Church has cared for and
> served Indigenous people in many ways, it is undeniable that some
> members of the Church undermined the dignity of First Nations people.
> There is evidence that much of this abuse occurred at residential
> schools, which were largely operated by Christian denominations.
> 
> This communication is intended to provide some context and address
> some frequently asked questions about this important issue. We must
> all join in the collective efforts on the path to healing and
> reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
> 
> 
> 1. I am deeply troubled by the discovery of children’s remains in
> Kamloops on the site of a former residential school. Who operated the
> school?
> 
> The discovery of 215 unmarked graves in late May 2021 will require
> further investigation to help seek the truth of who these children
> were, how they died and how they were buried so far from home. The
> school was built and initially operated by the federal government,
> opening in 1890. In 1892, the federal government asked a Catholic
> order, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, to take over
> operations, which they did until 1969. The federal government resumed
> operations of the school from 1969 until its closure in 1979.
> 
> The religious order issued a formal apology in 1991 in addition to
> paying settlements to residential school survivors. An excerpt of the
> apology reads as follows:
> 
> “We wish to apologize in a very particular way for the instances of
> physical and sexual abuse that occurred in those schools…Far from
> attempting to defend or rationalize these cases of abuse in any way,
> we wish to state publicly that we acknowledge they were inexcusable,
> intolerable and a betrayal of trust in one of its most serious forms.
> We deeply and very specifically, apologize to every victim of such
> abuse and we seek help in searching for means to bring about healing.”
> 
> 2. Is the Catholic Church assisting with the efforts to seek the truth
> in Kamloops and elsewhere?
> 
> Father Ken Thorson, current Superior of the Missionary Oblates of Mary
> Immaculate, has reached out to the Tk'emlups te Secwépemc Chief
> Rosanne Casimir to offer assistance and to express sympathies
> following the discovery of the remains of 215 children on the grounds
> of the former school. Father Thorson has communicated that records
> from the Kamloops Indian Residential School are with the Royal British
> Columbia Museum and has indicated the order will assist in sharing any
> information regarding records at this and other locations where the
> order operated schools.
> 
> Among the groups of dioceses and religious communities that operated
> residential schools, there is a spirit of cooperation with Indigenous
> peoples with regards to personal records and information relating to
> the former schools. At the same time, there are also privacy rights,
> including those of Indigenous peoples who attended these schools,
> which need to be taken into consideration on a case by case basis.
> 
> 3. Why aren’t we hearing an apology from the Catholic Church in Canada?
> 
> There is no such entity as the Catholic Church of Canada. Each
> Catholic diocese and religious order is an independent legal entity.
> Despite this reality, in 1991, Canadian Catholic Bishops, along with
> leaders of men and women religious communities, issued a statement
> that “We are sorry and deeply regret the pain, suffering and
> alienation that so many experienced” at residential schools.
> 
> Approximately 16 out of 70 Roman Catholic dioceses in Canada were
> associated with the former residential schools, in addition to about
> three dozen out of over one hundred Catholic institutes (commonly
> referred to as religious orders). Each diocese and institute is
> corporately and legally responsible for its own actions.
> 
> Many of the dioceses or orders operating schools have offered
> apologies, dating back to the early 1990s. In recent days, many
> bishops throughout Canada have offered statements and introduced other
> initiatives to continue our ongoing path to truth and reconciliation.
> 
> A listing of some of the numerous apologies and other resources can be found at:
> 
> http://bit.ly/CCCBreconciliationDocuments
> 
> 4. Did the Archdiocese of Toronto operate residential schools?
> 
> The Archdiocese of Toronto did not operate residential schools yet we
> share the collective grief and sorrow as the result of any
> representative of the Catholic Church inflicting pain or abuse on an
> individual, especially vulnerable children.
> 
> 5. Have Indigenous leaders met with the Pope?
> 
> Yes, in 2009, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations,
> Phil Fontaine, along with other Indigenous representatives, had a
> moving encounter with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. In describing
> the meeting, Chief Fontaine told the media he hoped the expression of
> regret would “close the book” on the issue of apologies for
> residential school survivors.
> 
> Another attendee at the meeting with Pope Benedict, Edward John, Grand
> Chief of the First Nations Summit in British Columbia, said the Pope
> acknowledged the suffering of those who are still living with the
> effects of their experiences at the schools. In comments to the media
> he said, “I think in that sense, there was that apology that we were
> certainly looking for.”
> 
> The Catholic Church continues to work alongside and with Indigenous
> communities in order to foster an ongoing culture of reconciliation.
> There have been, and continue to be, numerous initiatives by Catholic
> dioceses, institutes and organizations throughout Canada to assist
> with support the ongoing healing and reconciliation journey.
> 
> 6. I understand there was a formal request in the Truth and
> Reconciliation Commission report for the Pope to personally apologize
> in Canada?
> 
> The Holy Father has already been invited to Canada by the present and
> previous Prime Minister. The Catholic Bishops of Canada, including the
> current and past Presidents of the Canadian Conference of Catholic
> Bishops, have assured the Pope they would joyfully and gratefully
> welcome him in a visit to Canada. Likewise, in a number of instances,
> Canadian Bishops, individually and collectively, have formally invited
> Pope Francis to visit, including with specific reference to Call to
> Action #58 (a recommendation of the 2015 Truth & Reconciliation
> Commission asking the Holy Father to apologize on Canadian soil within
> one year of the report being issued).
> 
> Pope Francis has encouraged the Bishops to continue taking leadership
> and assuming their proper role in pursuing their pastoral engagement
> and reconciliation efforts with Indigenous peoples, including ongoing
> conversations among the Bishops and Elders. This work builds on past
> apologies, dialogue and the desire to move forward together.
> 
> A formal papal visit involves a number of steps from both government
> and church leadership as well as significant logistical, financial
> commitments and other considerations. No papal visit has been publicly
> announced at this time.
> 
> 7. Will the Catholic Church pay financial reparations to those harmed
> by residential schools?
> 
> The Catholic entities that operated residential schools were part of
> the 2006 Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA).
> 
> The Holy See and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops were
> never involved in running the former schools. The “Roman Catholic
> Entities” named as parties in the IRSSA were legally deemed to have
> fulfilled the requirements of the settlement agreement by a judicial
> review. Following this review, the former Conservative government
> released the entities from further obligations – a decision which the
> present Liberal government did not appeal.
> 
> The 50 or so individual entities which signed the IRSSA paid:
> 
>   i.            $29 million in cash (less legal costs);
> 
>   ii.           more than the required $25 million of “in-kind”
> contributions; and
> 
>   iii.          an additional $3.7 million from a “best efforts” campaign.
> 
> Those same entities, together with other dioceses, institutes and
> national Catholic organizations, continue to be involved in efforts
> across the country to provide in-kind contributions, which go well
> beyond the scope of the Indian Residential School Settlement
> Agreement.
> 
> 8. Where can I find additional resources?
> 
> Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle is a Catholic coalition of Indigenous
> people, bishops, lay movements, clergy and institutes of consecrated
> life, engaged in renewing and fostering relationships between the
> Catholic Church and Indigenous Peoples in Canada. For more information
> visit: www.ourladyofguadalupecircle.ca.
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
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