Church refuses to apologise for mistreatment of Canadian children
The Catholic Church has been criticised for refusing to apologise for the treatment of aboriginal Canadian children sent to church-run residential schools. Although the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, apologised for the Government, and a raft of other churches including the Anglicans, Presbyterians and United Churches had issued official apologies, the Catholic Church remains silent.
As many as 150,000 aboriginal children were forcibly sent to the grim schools to be “Christianised” and to “kill the Indian within”. Many were physically and sexually abused. “The Canadian Government has apologised, “Katherine Sorby, a former residential school student, told Canadian Catholic News. “The Pope hasn’t, has he?”
27 June 2008
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Guardian, 7 January 2009
Guardian, 7 January 2009
New York Times, 7 January 2009
The economic downturn is being seen by the churches as an opportunity for them to bring people back to religion. Vicars are reporting more bums on pews, priests are telling us that mass attendance is rising.
Islington Council (in north London) has won its appeal today against a ruling that it unlawfully discriminated against a Christian registrar who refused to perform same-sex civil partnerships. The National Secular Society has hailed as “a victory for common sense”