Apologetic Words and Tangible Actions for Truth and Reconciliation

                                  Children's Shoe Memorial on the Steps of a Roman Catholic Church

"We acknowledge the grave abuses that were committed by some members of our Catholic community; physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and sexual," the statement added.

"We also sorrowfully acknowledge the historical and ongoing trauma and the legacy of suffering and challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples that continue to this day."

From the Apology by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops 

 When we began to hear the news earlier this year about the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children there was shock and grief across the country. I was surprised that so many non-Indigenous people received the news about the horrors of Residential Schools as though this was a recent revelation but I've been part of the United Church my whole life and our denomination has attempted to address our own shameful involvement for nearly four decades. This has included apologies, a healing fund, reparations,.and active participation in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We stil have a long way to go. 

The spotlight quickly turned to the Roman Catholic church and I was disgusted, frankly, by what I can only describe as the "weasel words" of some officials to deflect responsibility, particularly in the areas of financial compensation, jursidiction, and a formal apology. 

This past week the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops officially apologized for their role in the residential school system for the first time, after refusing to do so for years despite public pressure. This was followed by a commitment of 30 million dollars in reparations over five years. It shouldn't come as a shock that Indigenous leaders received this news with a degree of skepticism. The announcement of monetary compensation falls uinder the category of "talk is cheap" given that promises have been made in the past, only to be broken.

“The words of the apology speak to a commitment by the church to the healing path forward with First Nations and Indigenous peoples,” Archibald said in a statement. “Only time will tell if concrete actions will follow the words of contrition by the bishops.”

Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald 

I am cynical that these responses have come about because of withering criticism of an institution which has raised tens of millions for building projects in the past decade across the country while claiming that there just wasn't the money to honour commitments to Indigenous individuals and communities. 

The apology is an important step toward public contrition, but again, is this a reaction to a harsh spotlight and tomorrow's Day of Truth and Reconciliation? And will Pope Francis on behalf of the Roman Catholic church join with the bishops in this apology? 

I didn't intend to write several blog entries on the subjects of Orange Shirt and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this week, yet we need to do more than pay lip service to this new statutory holiday in Canada. And while I want to respect the intentions of Roman Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ, I too will be watching to see how words become the actions which will make a difference for those who suffered. 

                                                        Memorial on Parliament Hill, Ottawa