INUIT FORUM
Catholic Church must commit to meaningful action on reconciliation Spirituality is a large part of what makes up the Catholic Church, but itโs not the only part. The Church is ยฉ Jessica Deeks
also an administrative system, with its own government, systems and political leadership. It was this system that worked with governments in Canada to establish residential schools in Indigenous communities, including Chester๏ฌeld Inlet in what is now Nunavut. The headquarters of the Church is a city-state known as the Vatican, housed within the capital of Italy. Its current leader is Pope Francis, who serves as both the head of state and of the church. In 2019, the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), the churchโs governing body in Canada, invited the leaders of the Assembly of First Nations, the Metis National Council, as well as Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican to advance healing and understanding. We accepted this o๏ฌer and have been working with the CCCB to assemble delegations and prepare the logistics for a visit of truth and
Our Lady of Victory, better known as the Igloo Church in Inuvik, Inuvialuit Settlement Region. ยฉ Wikimedia Commons/Adam Jones
reconciliation. We were prepared to make the trip in December 2021
monetary restitution for actions of the church that have directly
but were forced by the changing nature of the pandemic to reschedule.
contributed to some of the long-standing inequity we experience today.
We now expect to meet with the Holy Father in March 2022. The ITK Board of Directors has asked me to lead the delegation,
I will also urge the Church to work with the Government of Canada and Indigenous organizations to reunite children buried in unmarked
which will include individuals from the Inuvialuit Settlement Region,
graves with their communities. This includes ful๏ฌlling the Churchโs legal
Nunavut and Nunavik. It will be the ๏ฌrst meeting between a sitting
obligations to produce all school records under the terms of the Indian
Pope and Inuit, and the ๏ฌrst opportunity for us to share the pain our
Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The spirit of reconciliation
communities have experienced under the leadership of the Church.
also demands that the Church agree to participate in a third-party
The hour-long closed encounter in the Popeโs o๏ฌce at the Vatican will
investigation of its archives to uncover necessary records.
be followed by a larger encounter with all Indigenous delegates on the
And ๏ฌnally, we will call on the Church for support in holding to
๏ฌnal day of our visit. It will be a di๏ฌcult and emotional time. But it is not
account individuals who committed crimes in the name of the Church.
enough for Pope Francis to listen to our words. Inuit need him to direct
We continue to seek justice for the horri๏ฌc legacy of abuse of Inuit
the administrative arms of his church to take action in critical areas
children at the hands of Johannes Rivoire, an Oblate priest at the
where the church has yet to follow through on its commitments.
Sir Joseph Bernier School (Turquetil Hall) in Chester๏ฌeld Inlet. The
One of the key messages I will bring forward is that the Calls to
Church must commit to work with governments and with Inuit
Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada must be
to bring about justice for survivors of abuse and their families.
implemented in full, including Call to Action 58 โ an apology by the
I hope that Pope Francis will truly hear these messages, and work
Pope to survivors and their families for the Roman Catholic Churchโs role
with us to help our people heal. Inuit know what it means to persevere
in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical and sexual abuse of First
through hardship. Many among us carry a heavy load. But there is hope.
Nations, Inuit and Metis children in Catholic-run residential schools.
Inuit deserve to be heard and we will carry a message of unity and
We hope that this apology would take place in Canada.
strength with us to the Vatican.
A B O V E + B E Y O N D
I will call on the Church to ful๏ฌll its legal obligations under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, including to provide
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A B O V E
B E Y O N D
Natan Obed President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
ABOVE&BEYOND MARCH/APRIL 2022
