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Opinion with Michael Coren Saying sorry has never been easy – as the Pope’s refusal to offer a formal apology for his church’s treatment of indigenous children in the residential school system shows so well. The apology was one of the 94 recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and was repeated when Justin Trudeau met with Pope Francis. It was refused and, in earlyMay, Parliament voted by a margin of 269-10 to formally invite the Pope to think again. We shall see. The Roman Catholic Church has also been asked to fulfil its financial obligations under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, and to raise $25 million for indigenous healing, as demanded in the residential schools settlement of 2007. The papal response so far has been that he takes the issue “seriously,” but that “after carefully considering the request and extensive dialogue with the bishops of Canada, he felt that he could not personally respond.” That’s simply not good enough but is, alas, in keeping with the Catholic Church’s approach. In 1991, the Canadian Bishops said, “We are sorry and deeply regret the pain, suffering and alienation that so many experienced” at the residential schools and, in 1993, “various types of abuse experienced at some residential schools have moved us to a profound examination of conscience as a Church.” Those words are obviously the result of legal vetting. The logic of the Roman Catholic defence is that an individual diocese may apologize, but the Vatican is not directly responsible, so cannot. But Roman Catholicism is centred on a supreme authority, and an apology from that authority is considered by indigenous people to be essential. Truth be told, the Church is likely terrified of the financial and legal repercussions. Canadian political defenders of the Pope’s refusal are not helping. Alberta MP Garnett Genius responded on Twitter that, “Catholic entities involved in residential schools have apologized. The Holy See is responsible for next steps and people are welcome to make their own judgments. It is not for Parliament to call out or dictate to one faith community.” That, however, is simply not the point. None of the churches involved in the residential school catastrophe acted independently of the state, and all of them have something for which to answer. This is not anti-Catholic, but pro-fairness. And many of the politicians and activists who have pushed for the apology are themselves serious Roman Catholics. They point out that as long ago as 1986, the United Church stated that, “We imposed our civilization as a condition of accepting the gospel. We tried to make you be like us and in so doing, we helped to destroy the vision that made you what you were…We ask you to forgive us and to walk together with us in the Spirit of Christ so that our peoples may be blessed and God’s creation healed.” A few years later, ArchbishopMichael Peers, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada issued a profoundly moving document: “I accept and I confess before God and you, our failures in the residential schools. We failed you. We failed ourselves. We failed God…I am sorry, more than I can say, that we tried to remake you in our image, taking from you your language and the signs of your identity.” Now we wait to see what Pope Francis will do. He’s obviously a compassionate man, with a strong sense of the horror of other people’s suffering. But he can also be strangely conservative on certain issues, and disappoint his many supporters. He’s quite clearly being advised by Catholic leaders in Canada and following the terrible scandal of the sexual abuse crisis, they probably have no idea how to react, and are in panic. Honesty and openness are always the best policies. There could be litigation, there may be financial penalties, but so what? Horrible crimes were committed, numerous people suffered appallingly, and we as Canadians – Catholic and non-Catholic – have to find a way to move forward. “Our women, our people, have unaddressed grief, intergenerational trauma, as the residential schools severed the most important bond, that bond between indigenous children and their mothers and their families”, said Dawn LavellHarvard, president of the Ontario Native Women’s Association. “This system exposed our children to a cycle of violence that continues today, but we know that violence is a learned behaviour… We can make a change.” Yes we can, and so can Pope Francis. 14 | www.snowbirds.org

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