Justice in the Amazon

 

A young Indigenous person takes part in a protest against the land policies of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's government, held outside the Supreme Court in Brasilia on June 18, 2021. (CNS photo/Adriano Machado, Reuters)

I have been disgusted by the tepid and often evasive response of the Roman Catholic church in Canada to the tragedy of the Residential Schools it ran for over a century. Tens of thousands of Indigenous children suffered in those schools and the RC church has not fulfilled its responsibilities to pay restitution or to offer a meaningful apology. Pope Francis has been mealy-mouthed in his response to the discovery of hundreds of the unmarked graves of children who died while residents of these institutions. 

I am raged to hear of the efforts of the Roman Catholic activists in Brazil who are denouncing violence against Indigenous peoples who are attempting to protect their traditional territories from large landowners and mining interests. The President, Jair Bolsonaro, supports the encroachment and has introduced legislation to take away Indigenous rights. Conflicts have escalated and Indigenous people have been displaced and killed. Along with this violation of human rights the destruction of rain forest is an ecological disaster. As an example, the Yanomami, an Indigenous group of 27,000 members, now shares its territory with 20,000 illegal miners. 

Sadly, often organized religion undermines freedom and human dignity. It also has tremendous opportunity to advocate on behalf of those who struggle against oppressive forces. 

Pope Francis has also spoken out on behalf of the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and brought representatives of their communities to Rome. We can pray that the Roman Catholic church will be heard as a voice for justice.