Murray Sinclair says the historic apology, while meaningful to many school survivors and their families, fell short of Call to Action 58 in the final report. It specifically called on the Pope to apologize “for the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children in Catholic-run schools.” In a written statement on Tuesday, Sinclair said the intention was for survivors not only to hear remorse, “but also to accept responsibility for what they were subjected to at the hands of the church and other institutions.” While he called it a “historic apology,” he said the pope’s statement “left a deep hole in the recognition of the church’s full role in the residential school system, placing responsibility on individual members of the church.” Pope Francis delivered the apology Monday in Alberta at the site of the former Ermineskin residential school, one of Canada’s largest, as he began what he called a “pilgrimage of repentance.” Pope Francis bows his head during mass at Sacred Heart of the First Peoples Church in Edmonton on Monday as part of his papal visit across Canada. He apologized for the role of many Christians in residential schools, which does not go far enough, Sinclair says. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press) “I ask forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the church and religious communities cooperated, largely through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of the day, culminating in the system of domestic schools,” he said. Sinclair said it was important to stress that the Catholic Church was not just an agent of the state, but “a major co-author of the darkest chapters in the country’s history”. Sinclair says Catholic leaders guided by the Doctrine of Discovery — a 15th-century papal decree that justified colonial expansion by allowing Europeans to claim indigenous lands — as well as other church beliefs and policies allowed Canada’s government and further pushed her work to commit what the TRC called the cultural genocide committed against indigenous peoples in Canada. This was often “not just a collaboration, but an incitement,” he said. “There are clear examples in our history where the church has called on the Government of Canada to be more aggressive and bold in its work to destroy Indigenous culture, traditional practices and beliefs,” Sinclair’s statement said. “This was more than the work of a few bad actors – this was a concerted institutional effort to remove children from their families and their culture, all in the name of Christian supremacy.”
Time for action
Sinclair says reconciliation requires action and the Catholic Church must work to help restore the culture, beliefs and traditions destroyed through assimilation. “For the children and descendants of survivors, it is not enough to stop abusing them,” he said. Instead, the church should help them recover and “as well as pledge never to do it again.” Students and staff at Fort Alexander Residential School are pictured in a file photo. Sinclair says there are clear examples in Canadian history where the Church has asked the Government of Canada to be more aggressive in its work to destroy Indigenous culture, traditional practices and beliefs. (National Truth and Reconciliation Commission Archives) The Pope will continue his pilgrimage throughout the week to meet with First Nations, Métis and Inuit survivors in Quebec and Nunavut. Sinclair hopes the pontiff will take his words to heart. “There is a better path that the church – and all Canadians – can indeed take to take responsibility for past actions and resolve to do better in this journey of reconciliation.” Support is available for anyone affected by their residential school experience or recent reports. A national Indian residential school crisis line has been set up to provide support to former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419. Mental health counseling and crisis support is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
