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Residential school survivors granted audience with the Pope The Globe and Mail April 14, 2009 at 8:36 PM EDT JOE FRIESEN A delegation of residential school survivors has been granted a rare private audience with the Pope in the Vatican, fuelling hope that Benedict XVI will apologize for abuse in institutions run by Roman Catholic missionary congregations. The Pope will express his concern for aboriginal peoples in Canada who continue to suffer the impact of residential schools, according to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, and will also present the survivors with a signed declaration of the church's determination to work toward reconciliation with aboriginal people. “It's a historic and momentous occasion,” said native chief Phil Fontaine, who is leading the delegation. “We've had apologies from the other denominations, the United Church, the Presbyterian Church and the Anglican Church. We've had the historic apology from the Prime Minister on June 11. The one missing piece was the apology from the Catholic Church. When this happens we will be able to begin the important work of healing and reconciliation.” It's not known, however, how far Pope Benedict will go in his statement, or whether it will be the full apology that native leaders and elders are hoping to receive. Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other MP's listen as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Phil Fontaine speaks in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa June 11, 2008. Canada, seeking to close one of the darkest chapters in its history, formally apologized on Wednesday for forcing 150,000 aboriginal children into grim residential schools, where many say they were abused. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)  “We're mindful of one thing, and that is traditionally the Catholic Church does not apologize,” said Mr. Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations. “But we hope and pray that there will be an apology, one that will acknowledge the harms inflicted upon innocent children and an acceptance of responsibility for their role in the tragic experience.” Catholic Church missionary congregations ran nearly 75 per cent of Canada's residential schools, which operated from the 1880s up to the 1980s, part of a policy of cultural assimilation whose goal was religious conversion and the extinguishing of native culture. Children were taken from their families against their will, and many suffered physical and sexual abuse at the schools. The other religious denominations that ran residential schools began apologizing for their role in the 1980s, and only the Catholic Church has so far held out. Mr. Fontaine met with Pope John Paul II more than 10 years ago in Rome, but made no statement on residential schools despite saying beforehand that he would raise the issue. The Vatican reportedly grew nervous at the prospect of residential schools being raised and downgraded the meeting from a private audience. Mr. Fontaine suffered sexual abuse at a school run by Catholics in Manitoba. The meeting at the Vatican, scheduled for April 29, came about after more than two years of diplomatic efforts between native leaders and the Catholic Church, led by James Weisgerber, Archbishop of Winnipeg. Mr. Fontaine said that as part of the negotiations, he forwarded a copy of the moving apology that Prime Minister Stephen Harper read from the floor of the House of Commons on June 11, 2008, as well as the statements from the leaders of the opposition and the AFN's response. “We've done that so His Holiness and the Vatican will have a reference on how we would like [them] to respond to this very tragic, sad experience,” Mr. Fontaine said. Although many details are unresolved, Mr. Fontaine said he and four other residential school survivors will meet with the Pope after his Wednesday morning general audience. The meeting will also include representatives of the Catholic missionary congregations that ran the schools in Canada. This conversation is closed Skip to the latest comment Andrew Dice Clay from Canada writes: The vatican is just buying time so that most victims will die. I expect a full 'confession' in roughly 40 years. This way no more victims can sue. Posted 14/04/09 at 8:46 PM EDT | 2. con hack loser PM is bad for Canada from Canada writes: Cue the con hack Native-bashing in 3...2...1... Posted 14/04/09 at 8:48 PM EDT | 3. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// Sex abuse is alive and well...in our public schools now...today www.badbadteacher.com ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 8:51 PM EDT | 4. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// The Pope implemented measures to eliminate future sex abuse, which was to stop the admission of pedophile and homosexual candidates from entering the priesthood. ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 8:54 PM EDT | 5. leo bloom from radisson, sask, Canada writes: Hey Ingram - you shut down the Phil Spector thread after 18 minutes and five soft-soap comments....the freaks'll be out on this board in spades: the Pope and natives? Wow! Whatcha gonna do? The last anti-Pope forum went days.... Posted 14/04/09 at 8:55 PM EDT | 6. Wulfher SkullSplitter from Winnipeg, Canada writes: Fueling hope?? Why would anyone give a sh!t at this point? What good is an apology from the pope anyway? Perhaps it will be enough to give the natives their next dose of money. I am not bothered by this reality anymore, it's just the cost of doing business. I hope that the archaic RC (and all the rest) institution crumbles away. Posted 14/04/09 at 8:57 PM EDT | 7. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// The residential schools were staffed and run by participants from all major religions and governments. The abuse was uniformly prevalent amongst secular and religious institutions. That is why Harper made an apology on behalf of government, which was tossed back in face by the way. ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 8:57 PM EDT | 8 leo bloom from radisson, sask, Canada writes: SkullSplatter speaks volumes...I rest my case. Posted 14/04/09 at 9:00 PM EDT | 9. Bob Cajun from Canada writes: Apologize? For what? The Church, actually, all churches were victims in this. Why not prosecute the pedophiles? They totally go against everything any church or Cdn govt stood for, yet get off scott free. Why was the crown attorney asleep at the wheel here? How come civil suits never name the perps and their estates? Where is the real justice for the victims here? As for Bob Iman taking a swipe at public schools - why not answer the question as to the purpose of school boards, and for that matter churches - they are not the police nor are they the attorney general. All a school board can do is threaten a hearing, and the perp just retires before the hearing. Ditto with the various churches involved. They are not crown prosecutors with the power to force someone to testify. If school boards or churches make accusations without the prerequisite tribunal, they get sued by the perps. Again, where was the minister of justice on this? What was the crown attorney doing? Where was the police investigation? Posted 14/04/09 at 9:07 PM EDT | 10. Robin H From Toronto from Canada writes: Another horror show in the despicable history of the Roman Catholic Church. Posted 14/04/09 at 9:08 PM EDT | 11. Subhadeep Chakrabarti from Edmonton, AB, Canada writes: Bob, were there really any 'secular' residential schools? If so, exactly who were administering those ? Could you please post a link here before bad-mouthing publich schools ? Posted 14/04/09 at 9:12 PM EDT | 12. James F from London, Canada writes: Aren't missionaries still going over to other developing countries today to get them to 'accept' the Christian belief system in place of their own? Im sure their message is more readily accepted b/c of the offer of food, clothing, education, etc is what they need for survival. Im sure its effective but I dont know how ethical it is. Maybe todays missionary does not have the sex/abuse scandals of the residential schools (or maybe they do) but aren't they essentially doing the same thing as was done to the aboriginal people in Canada? Posted 14/04/09 at 9:13 PM EDT | 13. Another vicious kick right in the face from world leaders to the rule of law!, writes:   Meeting fuelling hope that Benedict XVI will apologize for abuse in institutions run by Roman Catholic missionary congregations ... ================== Oh yeah? Do you know what he can do with his 'apology'???? Posted 14/04/09 at 9:13 PM EDT |  14. 1938371 1938371 from Vancouver, Canada writes: It is awesome that the Residential School victims have been granted an audience with the Pope Since the beginning of time the world has tried to determine who is a pedophile and who is a child sex abuser and despite legislation, government sex offenders lists, criminal records, lengthy interviews for the various jobs these people apply for inside and outside of the the church, they commit crimes against young men, young women and children daily Some are relatives others are trusted and distinguised members of the community and others are from a broad base of all walks of life. Allowing priests to have normal sex as opposed to no sex would go a long ways to making the church a healthy envrionment in which to work. Also if women are good enough to hold every other job known to man, then why are women less worthy of being pirests? Having said that, the Catholic church is a private organization and as such it is nobody's business but the members how it is run and who can join. Posted 14/04/09 at 9:15 PM EDT | 15. Bob Cajun from Canada writes: Bob Iman, have you ever read the blue pages in the Ontario Teachers magazine - or for that matter the hearing in the Roman Rota? Both the Catholic Church and ALL school boards in Canada take these allegations VERY seriously. They all have vigourously enforced policies to screen candidates and investigate allegations - but they are not cops and their not prosecutors The aspersions you cast is a slap in the face to all the good honest teachers and priests out there. There are many hard working teachers in my family, and I count two priests in my close circle of friends. On their behalf, I will say this, your a troll. Go back to your cave Posted 14/04/09 at 9:15 PM EDT | 16. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// More abusive teachers... April 13, 2009..... Jennifer Lea Burton, coach and teacher Victor Scott McPeak Jr., fifth grade teacher Joseph Andrew Sadler, football coach Christy Lynn Martin, teacher Maxie Carroll Miller, JROTC rep at high school April 11, 2009 Michael J. Dupont, 7th gr science teacher, Richard Jurado, teachers asst Richard Garret Hulbert, tech teacher April 10, 2009 Linda Pithyou, http://badbadteacher.com These were all teachers all in the past 4 days charge of convicted for abusing kids... all from secular public schools. What are YOU going to do about it... do youreally care about the kids? ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 9:18 PM EDT | 17.  Raymond P from Canada writes: Will the pope have his chequebook handy or is this just a show? Bob, caffeine is addictive and leads to irrational behaviour. The definition of abuse needs to be addressed. If, as you say, 16% of students are abused by teachers then the RCC and its army of pedophiles must be abusing close to 99% of youth churchgoers. Posted 14/04/09 at 9:19 PM EDT | 18.  BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// Bob Cajun, The abuse levels by catholic priest were in the order of 1-2% of priests. Abuse by married protestant ministers is about 3%. Abuse by teachers is at about that level at 3% of teachers. The trouble is that the public is looking a a historic problem with RC priests and not looking at far worse abuse at the hands of secular teachers most of whom are married. I have the reports to support every stat I put up here. ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 9:23 PM EDT | 19. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// More abusive teachers.... April 10, 2009 William Arthur Stevens, substitute teacher Linda Richins Nef, studies teacher and coach Michele Elizabeth Zulkowsky, teachers aide Katrina Renee Jackson, english teacher Brookann Collier, pricipal April 9, 2009 Ashley Brenetta Florence, teacher's aide Timothy J. McDorman, ROTC instructor Daniel Axtell, teacher Christopher John Klitgord, teacher Louis J. Levine, science teacher Javier Salazar, 1st grade teacher Darin M. Strong, phys ed teacher This in just 6 days.....teachers still hurting kids... right now...where is the news? Where is the investigation into the public school system? http://badbadteacher.com ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 9:30 PM EDT | 20. Michael G from Vancouver, Canada writes: The Catholic Church should apologize to the rest of the world for making such a mess of thing. Then it should fold. It doesn't take a PhD to figure out that those who cannot have sex will be deviants. Try not having sex for a month, see how you end up. Organized religion is organized crime. Posted 14/04/09 at 9:36 PM EDT | 21. Bob Cajun from Canada writes: BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// Bob Cajun,....The trouble is that the public is looking a a historic problem with RC priests and not looking at far worse abuse at the hands of secular teachers most of whom are married...I have the reports to support every stat I put up here. Mr. Imami, the problem is that you suggest in your posts that school boards and churches are responsble for eliminating this problem. But you know full well that screening out pedophiles in these institutions is next to impossible because the pedophiles themselves may not as of yet exhibitted the symptoms of their sickness. Secondly, in terms of catching and punishing the perpetrators, adminstrative tribunals in churches and school boards never had the power to do squat. Just leaf thru the legal disclosure notices that appear in the Ontario College of Teachers magazine. In almost every case, the accused moves out of the jurisdiction or retires, in order to avoid the tribunal. And all the tribunal can do is revoke their teaching license anyways. They are not criminal prosecutors. The real culprit here, besides the pedophiles, is a weak system of police investigation, crown prosecution and legal liabilties that prevent school boards, churches etc from handing over everything they know to the police. Why is it that the gov't cannot grant school boards and churches immunity from prosecution for their investigations like they do to children's aid societies? Posted 14/04/09 at 9:42 PM EDT | 22. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// You are wrong. Married ministers of other religions were twice as likely to abuse children. 3% of ministers abused children whereas 1-2% of RC unmarried priests abused children. Apparently it takes a little more than what you got to know the facts around this situation. ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 9:49 PM EDT | 23. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// Bob Cajun, Much of what you said is true. In the case of the RC church, nearly a decade ago a program was implemented to screen out homosexuals and pedophiles from the seminaries. It has been very effective, and not many people were screaming 'discrimination' though there were some. In the schools, there are unions protecting teachers and 'rules' which protect abusers. The teachers union is a stumbling block to removing these abusive teachers. I make them culpable in the retention of abusive teachers. ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 9:54 PM EDT | 24. Bobby the K from DurhamNotDurhamRegion, Canada writes: ~ I grew up with this religion, and I can tell you it has a big ego problem. What they demand from others, confessions, penance, money, etc. They don't extend to others. Even if their crimes are many, many times more severe. You cannot gain vast amounts of wealth and power in this world and care about the pain you cause. Posted 14/04/09 at 9:59 PM EDT | 25. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// Here is a 2004 report on sex abuse by priests and OTHER PROFESSIONALS. http://www.catholicleague.org/specialreports.php?id=10 Scroll down to TEACHER From:The Handbook on Sexual Abuse of Children, 13.5 percent of male students reported that they had intercourse with their teacher... That was 1991... in PUBLIC schools. What are you doing about YOUR public schools. I suspect by all the outrage that there will be phone calls to all the public schools by the commenters here tomorrow. What are YOU doing?? ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 10:02 PM EDT | 26. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// When is the Globe and Mail going to investigate the Ontario public schools for sex abuse by teachers? NEVER!!! ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 10:04 PM EDT | 27. Don Mallard from ottawa, Canada writes: I think many of you are missing the point here. The abuse in Canadian residential schools went far beyond the heinous individual cases of physical and sexual abuse. The residential school system resulted in institutionalized abuse of Canada's First Nations peoples. The federal government, through schools run by various churches, sought to 'take the Indian out' of its own people. Children as young as four were torn from their families and shipped off to residential schools where they were punished for speaking their own language and in many cases emotionally and/or physically abused. It was cultural abuse of the worst kind and still today, generations removed from the residential school system, our First Nations children are still suffering. Today, staggeringly high rates of suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, broken families and homelessness can easily be traced back to the abuse of the government-sanctioned, church-run residential school system. Nobody will ever face charges for this cultural genocide. It is the moral duty of the Catholic church to acknowledge and apologize for its part in this sad part of our history. Posted 14/04/09 at 10:09 PM EDT | 28. Reality Seeker from Harrow, Ontario, Canada writes: Both the government and the churches hold guilt, not only in sexual abuse, but also in the forced removal of children from their families in a misguided attempt at assimilation. However, it is wrong for first nations people to treat this as a 'them vs us' issue. I understand that at least 60% of the people of Canada have at least one aboriginal ancestor, and most are unaware of it. This is because women lost their status when marrying whites until the mid-eighties. Also, carrying status cards today are many non-natives who earned that document through marriage. My own sister is one, and she is as caucasian as I. Like it or not we are all linked and our blood lines are mixed. That would be a shock, both for white bigots (not as many as extremists would have us believe) and also for the armed native brotherhood types (also a minority). Apologies and reparations are fine, but it's time to get past the history dividing us and get on with life. No one is responsible for the sins of previous generations. Posted 14/04/09 at 10:12 PM EDT | 29. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// By the same argument we ought to leave the people of Afghanistan to educate their young boys (and not their girls) in the interests of preserving the Muslim culture? ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 10:21 PM EDT | 30. Joseph Bloggins from Canada writes: I wonder when the communist regimes that killed a hundred million will apologize to those families? Posted 14/04/09 at 10:24 PM EDT | 31. Mr. Justice from Anytown, Canada writes: An apology is the right thing to do. Kudos to the pope on this one. ... funny how renditions of statistics (alleged percentages) of members of the clergy who molest children...either have NO source listed or list a source that is j.u.s.t...p.l.a.i.n...m.o.r.on.i.c. . . . Bob ImamI illustrates both types of such alleged statistical renditions. -- Thanks, Bob: You never fail to illustrate why so many of us walked away from religious brainwashing and never looked back. Posted 14/04/09 at 10:24 PM EDT | 32. Joseph Bloggins from Canada writes: BoB ImamI from Canada says 'When is the Globe and Mail going to investigate the Ontario public schools for sex abuse by teachers? NEVER!!!' You raise a very valid point, BoB. The molestation continues unabated while the teacher perps just get moved to new schools. Protected by the unsavory unions and the bureaucracy. Posted 14/04/09 at 10:25 PM EDT | 33. leo bloom from radisson, sask., Canada writes: Wow John Birch! That's quite the pick-up line you have there... Posted 14/04/09 at 10:27 PM EDT | 34. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// Joseph Bloggins, Refreshing!!! I know! The Globe and mail is quite happy to dig through the vague muck of the past while ignoring the abuse that is happening to the children of members of its staff right now .. today... in Toronto. Where are you REPORTERS???? ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 10:30 PM EDT | 35. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// Did you ever notice that people who criticize statistics never read the citations that are written in black and white. ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 10:35 PM EDT | 36. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// I don't happen to be a Catholic but the Globe and Mail puts up the Pope like the Church is the sole source of abuse, when in fact it is the opposite. The worst abusers are married secular teachers. Abuse by priests is rare, but when it happens it gets all news. The trouble with this tactic is that it protects the real abusers from scrutiny. Teachers are the worst abusers of children and nobody is doing anything about it!! Posted 14/04/09 at 10:40 PM EDT | 37. Chuck the Canuk from East of Eden, Canada writes: Is there another Canadian newspaper that allows posts on their news items? I am getting a little tired of the G&M closing comments on most of their stories. Anything with posts that even remotely hints at anti muslim, anti lebanese, anti jewish, anti gay, anti anything the newspaper editors don't agree with, the comments get closed. Isn't a personal opinion comment area just that? A personal opinion. What I think and what I say is still protected by free speech isn't it???? The G&M and other news giants play that card all the time, but when it comes to individual Canadians using free speech, it gets shut up tight by some anal editor who thinks he is God. We are free in this country, and we should have free speech. This is not Pravda is it? Posted 14/04/09 at 10:41 PM EDT | 38. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 10:41 PM EDT | 39. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// http://badbadteacher.com the horror continues in our schools today. ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 10:43 PM EDT | 40. Alberta Marlowe from Canada writes: This is backwards, which is usual with the Vatican. The Pope should be humbly requesting an audience with residential school survivors and other survivors of abuse in the Catholic church, not the other way around. He should be offering justice, ending all the Church's obstruction to litigation by survivors, offering the Church's immense wealth to help them rebuild their lives and asking hat in hand for their forgiveness, and the forgiveness of the families of the many victims over the years who have been driven to suicide by their Church. Posted 14/04/09 at 10:54 PM EDT | 41. Jim Kelly from M'Chigeeng, Canada writes: In an age when Canada adopted a policy of compulsary education for all children--even aboriginal and immigrant children--the native residential schools showed a shameful difference between native and non-native society. That said, from among the children who attended residential school came the chiefs and professionals who were best able to argue for native rights. Their higher literacy put them in a position to do that. For those natives who did not attend residential schools--who attended smaller band schools or no school at all--the voice remains silent. For the social upheaval during all those years there is no redress and no compensation. Should the Pope apologize on behalf of all Canadians? Posted 14/04/09 at 10:44 PM EDT | 42. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// Jim Kelly, ' That said, from among the children who attended residential school came the chiefs and professionals who were best able to argue for native rights. Their higher literacy put them in a position to do that.' I agree. Every culture in the western world was steamrolled by British Imperial conquest. We have British Common Law, literacy, western science... The Irish got stomped, the Scots, India.... It was not my doing nor was it the Pope's doing. I reject the principle that the sins of the father are the sins of the son. Individuals are individually culpable. I have no guilt. ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 10:56 PM EDT | 43. True Patriot from Canada writes: 'BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// I reject the principle that the sins of the father are the sins of the son. Individuals are individually culpable. I have no guilt.' Of course you reject that principle, of course you have no guilt. To have guilt would be to learn, understand, accept and make restitution for the fact that you are nothing more than the natural consequences of actions taken by your not too distant relatives. You have directly and indirectly benefited from their racism, exploitation, lies, thievery and greed. To do other than 'reject the principle' and 'have no guilt' would be forced to admit that you are part of the problem and everything you have in life is completely undeserved. Posted 14/04/09 at 11:13 PM EDT | 44. True Patriot from Canada writes: 'Joseph Bloggins from Canada writes: The Bolsheviks stole land from my grandparents. I want to be paid. They also broke the family apart. I want to be paid.' Who are you kidding? Your grandparents were landless peasants. Posted 14/04/09 at 11:16 PM EDT | 45. BoB ImamI from Canada writes: ..// True Patriot, You are wrong. I am neither a racist or criminal. I am not at all burdened by anything my black ancestors have done her or in Africa I have a clear conscience. That is the principle of Canadian Law and natural Justice... by the way. ..// Posted 14/04/09 at 11:19 PM EDT | 46. H. Coleman from calgary, Canada writes: Like....why waste your time...it's just a person who happens to be in a place of man-made power. Posted 14/04/09 at 11:22 PM EDT | 47. Commander Groovechild from Canada writes: I honestly don't believe Pope Benedict is tangibly connected to this issue in any manner. I recognize he is the Pope. I know that an apology might be of symbolic value. But there is no meaning beyond the ceremony. It is like a company bringing in a new manager who immediately apologizes for the mistakes of his predecessors. Perhaps if the church were to introduce changes in the liturgy - to denounce the sins of the past and to ask for perpetual guidance - we can prevent these types of events from reoccuring. Those that attend church are probably not looking for dark clouds. So the tendency is to look to the future. Mistakes are terrible. But it is worse not to go beyond them. That is what the story means about turning into a pillar of salt as the city is destroyed. If we focus on the screw ups in our lives we will never find freedom from the past. Posted 14/04/09 at 11:23 PM EDT | Comments are closed Thanks for your interest in commenting on this article, however we are no longer accepting submissions. If you would like, you may send a letter to the editor.Report an abusive comment to our editorial staff

Pope Expected to Address Role of Church in Canadian Abuses   New York Times   14 April 2009   By IAN AUSTEN OTTAWA — Pope Benedict XVI is expected this month to acknowledge the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the forcing of about 150,000 Native Canadians into residential schools where many were sexually and physically abused, the country’s most prominent native leader said Tuesday. Last June the government of Canada, which financed the schools, apologized to former students through a special parliamentary ceremony. Three Protestant denominations that operated some of the schools have also offered apologies. That left the Roman Catholic Church, which ran the majority of the schools, as the only unheard voice. “This has been a source of major tension between the church and our people,” Phil Fontaine, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the national association of native groups, said in an interview on Tuesday. “The missing piece in all of this has been an apology from the Catholic Church.” Aside from abuse, the government acknowledged that the schools were intended to eradicate native culture through a program it called “aggressive assimilation.” Attendance became compulsory in 1920 for native children between the ages of 7 and 16. The last of the schools closed during the 1970s, and in 2006 the government agreed to pay 1.9 billion Canadian dollars, about $1.73 billion at the time, to the surviving students. Mr. Fontaine, who attended two Catholic residential schools where he said he was sexually abused, said that he and four other former students and native leaders had been invited to meet the pope at the Vatican on April 29. Exactly what statement the church will make afterward is unclear. Mr. Fontaine said he hoped the pope “will acknowledge the role of the church and his statement will reflect the harms that were inflicted.” A spokesman for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said that Archbishop James Weisgerber, whom Mr. Fontaine credited with arranging the meeting, would formally announce the papal audience on Wednesday.