Write to The Editor:

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.

‘Bowdlerized’ reality

The horrific news of the residential schools grave sites created such an avalanche of rancour against the Catholic Church that factual information was either deliberately ignored or distorted. 

No closure

Re: Lets set record straight on papal apologies (June 16):

Fr. Raymond De Souza correctly reports that Chief Phil Fontaine, a residential school survivor and three- time leader of the Assembly of First Nations, met with Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 and spoke positively about the conciliatory and compassionate words of regret expressed by this pope.

United mothers

Re: Prayers, sorrow for Kamloops children (June 13):

I am a Catholic mother of five. In my 20s, my encounter with Christ changed the course of my life. When I became a mom, I was moved to help shape my culture and actively tried to do so. It is inconceivable to me that other mothers would have had their children ripped from their very arms in the name of this culture, in the name of Christ.