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Incomplete apology

We can be grateful that the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has finally issued an apology for the Church’s role in residential schools.

Great deception

Re: Digging deep into ‘The Warning’ signs (Sr. Helena Burns, Sept. 19):

Secular observers note that the “present time” is experiencing “signs” of apocalyptic proportions: plague, pestilence, fire, flood, military defeat and economic turmoil. For Catholics these signs are augmented by distress over the scandal of the residential schools, the extension of MAiD and the juggernaut of the continuing sexual revolution.

Act of love

Re: Best, worst of times for abortion debate (Peter Stockland, Sept. 12):

Mr. Stockland’s observations are, as usual, insightful, thoughtful and poignant. I am however perplexed by his concluding paragraph. While I acknowledge that the Church discerns that vaccination is “a matter of individual conscience,” also note that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith dismisses the objections some individual Christians have regarding the morality of using some of the COVID-19 vaccines. More recently, Pope Francis has stated: “Being vaccinated with vaccines authorized by the competent authorities is an act of love. And contributing to ensure the majority of people are vaccinated is an act of love.”

Enriching Gospel

Re: Church’s job remains sharing the good news (Fr. Raymond de Souza, Aug. 27):

Fr. Souza says that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was, and is, good news for the Indigenous peoples of Canada. I agree. With all the negative criticism the Church has received in the aftermath of the residential schools debacle that’s easy to forget. While the Church should apologize for sins committed against Indigenous peoples, it cannot apologize for proclaiming the Gospel.

Universal approach

Re: A discouraging message on Latin Mass (Charles Lewis, Aug. 1):

Reading Charles Lewis’ vitriolic article excoriating Pope Francis for his support of the regular rather than the extraordinary liturgical form of Mass was shocking because it displays a total disregard for the universality of the Church and our participation in the mystical Body of Christ.

Ageless Mass

Thanks so much to Charles Lewis for his wonderful column “A discouraging message on Latin Mass” (Aug. 1-8). My sentiment was “he took the words right out of my mouth.” And I know many folks that agree 100 per cent, including young people who have discovered the beauty and truth of the Mass of the ages. And yes, unfortunately Pope Francis is causing far more division than the Latin Mass ever could.

Cautionary tale

Fr. Raymond de Souza rightly cautions that “Church-state alliances lead to a dangerous path” (Aug. 15), particularly evident in the injurious collaboration between the Catholic Church and state in the operation of residential schools. He acknowledges the 16th-century involvement by the Jesuits with Central American Indigenous peoples as an exemplary and cautionary tale. This involvement saw the Jesuits organize Indigenous people into armed military militias who defeated Bourbon-sanctioned efforts by some Europeans to enslave them. For these and other reasons, in 1759, bowing to Bourbon pressure, Pope Clement XIV ordered the dissolution of the Jesuits. 

National effort

Re: The campaign that fell well short (June 27):

The article is another indictment of the Catholic Church’s efforts to atone for its involvement in the horrors of the residential school system. “Well short” indeed! Do the math. With over 10 million Canadian Catholics, it is unbelievable that the Church’s “best efforts” could only raise 15 per cent of the $25 million promised to help fund reconciliation efforts. Little wonder many view the Church as lacking leadership and accountability.

Honourable way

The Pope will not visit Canada unless he is first invited to do so by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Indigenous peoples no doubt wonder why the bishops of Canada have arranged for a delegation of their leaders to meet with the Pope, but they did not invite him to come to Canada to deliver the apology requested in the Truth and Reconciliation’s final report. 

Shared responsibility

Canada’s Catholic bishops need to apologize for the Church’s involvement in residential schools, but not because of public pressure or demands by the Indigenous people of Canada, or requests by the prime minister, or even by the Parliament. Rather the bishops need to apologize in order to exemplify the virtue of solidarity, one of the most revered principles of Catholic social teaching.