THIS ISN’T HOW TO HEAL
BURNING DOWN CATHOLIC CHURCHES, OR ANY PLACE OF WORSHIP, MUST BE CONDEMNED
Four Catholic churches have been burned down in the past week on First Nations land in B.C.’S Southern Interior. Two others, one in northern B.C., the other in southern Alberta, set on fire. Churches have also been the target of vandalism, most recently in Edmonton where a statue of Pope John Paul II was covered in red paint. And yet, there has been silence from most political leaders, including Justin Trudeau.
It’s hard to imagine that if four houses of worship of any other religion were burned down that the prime minister would remain silent, and nor should he. This kind of behaviour has no place in Canada, and condemnation from political leaders makes this clear. More troublingly, you can find plenty of voices on social media who seem to welcome or applaud these acts. Yes, social media offers a distorted picture of the world, but the response, or lack thereof, to these acts is worrisome.
You can be angry at the church for its role in running residential schools and also be angry with these attacks. Disturbingly, this position somehow seems to be controversial.
No one has been harmed in these fires yet, but the silence and refusal to condemn these acts may help incite further acts that end up getting someone killed. Western Canada is under an intense heat wave right now, and these fires could very easily turn into larger fires that devastate communities and destroy lives.
Police noted that one of the fires at Chopaka Catholic church spread to nearby bush, and while the fire was extinguished it’s quite possible another one of these fires could easily get out of control. And it might just be buildings being targeted now, but all it takes is one person to target people instead.
In the wake of the tragic news that has emerged after ground-penetrating radar uncovered 215 unmarked children’s graves at residential school sites in Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation in British Columbia and 751 unmarked graves at Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan, anger with the Catholic church has understandably been widespread.
And it is not just the historic role of the church in running residential schools that is inviting scrutiny either. Many are demanding the church turn over records about the schools to help learn more about the victims and what took place at these schools, and there are increasing demands for a Papal apology. This was one of the calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report. The anger is justifiable.
However, burning down places of worship is always wrong, period. If you can’t bring yourself to say that, then shame on you. What makes these fires even worse in some ways is that the people most hurt are Indigenous Canadians and Indigenous Catholics especially. The churches burnt down were on Indigenous land serving Indigenous people. Around 42 per cent of Indigenous Canadians identify as Catholic, many who likely have been wrestling with the realities of history while also trying to figure out what this means for their faith.
The people most likely to insist that we must listen to Indigenous voices are the ones who seem most willing to ignore the pain and shock some Indigenous Canadians are expressing in response to the fires. Penticton Indian Band Chief Greg Gabriel spoke at Sacred Heart Mission Church and said “This church has been here since 1911. It was a fixture in our community ... Many in our community were members and involved in services. Some of our elders are attached to the church and have come here today very sad. They are hurting but also they understand.” Lower Similkameen Indian Band Chief Keith Crow, where the Chopaka church is located, said he was “angry” and that “I don’t see any positive coming from this and it’s going to be tough.”
These churches played an important role in these communities. From important life events like marriage and funerals, to being places of worship for local Indigenous Catholics, burning down these churches hurts these communities more than anyone else. Even if you can’t bring yourself to condemn the burning of Catholic churches in the abstract, if you care about the well-being of Indigenous people then you should condemn attacks on their places of worship especially. These acts do nothing to further reconciliation.