Prayers have been answered. Mayor Kenny Bell has proposed the removal of land tax exemptions that the Catholic Church benefits from.
The Iqaluit mayor has expressed wanting to tax the Catholic Church for its role in Canada’s assimilative resident school system.
This role is currently in the spotlight as the confirmed amount of unmarked grave-sites increase at former Catholic-run residential schools across the country.
Mayor Bell commented to CTV News:
“Because of the gruesome past and terrifying future we are waiting to see… Because (the Catholic Church is) refusing to apologize, I want to remove their tax exemption. I’m hoping for other politicians and other cities to do the exact same thing.”
The call being made is either tax the Catholic Church or have them hand over money as a means to help Indigenous communities heal.
The Church and federal government forcibly assimilated 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children in residential schools within Canada and the U.S for more than a century.
Without disclosing its net worth, The Roman Catholic Church is undoubtedly one of the richest institutions in history.
It is one of the largest landowners in the world while benefitting significant investments and possessing coffers full of gold and original art.
One of their most ‘attractive’ components, The Vatican, is worth $4 billion alone. A residential school survivor stated:
“The Roman Catholic Church is filthy rich but they’re hesitant to do the right thing. It’s not for us. Help the future generations who are paying the price.”
More than a thousand unmarked graves have been confirmed at residential schools since May, the first 215 reported by a First Nation Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc.
They said a majority of the remains were most likely children as young as 3 years old.
This awful discovery triggered nationwide mourning and instigated the search for more unmarked graves.
Mainstream attention has been applied to Canada’s horrific colonial history and its ongoing legacy.
It’s Canada Day. Friendly reminder that the Canadian government (both federal and provincial level) and the Catholic Church need to acknowledge and to hold themselves accountable for residential schools. Apology and reparations. pic.twitter.com/0yvkPgaydY
— splattin’ taeddie bear ; 🇨🇦 (@thisistaeddie) July 1, 2021
More than half of residential Canadian schools were run by Catholics; abuse was common, and children were consistently punished for expressing their cultures (including speaking their language).
Malnutrition and disease were prominent, with thousands of children killed.
An Indigenous activist and podcast host, Michelle Robinson, has encouraged people to engage with governments by pressuring them to tax the Church.
Some activists have responded violently.
Another Catholic Church burst into flames and was razed to the ground in Edmonton as First Nation Indians continue to attack churches across Western Canada. pic.twitter.com/xBfivOq6pQ
— JON MILLER (@MillerStream) June 30, 2021
The Catholic Church failed to raise $25 million to compensate residential school survivors (and future generations of survivors) as part of Canada’s Indian Residential School Survivor Agreement (IRSSA).
Yet, they were able to secure $28.5 million for the Holy Family Cathedral, which was even equipped with solar panels, according to CBC News.
An Anglican cleric and columnist who left the Catholic Church nearly eight years ago, Michael Coren, told VICE World News that he “doesn’t know how Catholic leadership sleeps at night.”
“They were asked to pay $25 million to Indigenous people, which is not a lot of money in global terms, and they never paid it,” he said.
If you’re not going to pay what is being estimated then there should be some sort of consequence to that.”
The provinces of Alberta and Ontario still publicly funded Catholic school systems. However, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador ceased funding Catholic schools in 1997.
Previously, VICE World News reported that there is now a rise in how many lifelong Catholics are rejecting the Church. Coren said he has noticed this and is not surprised.
Without actually apologising, Pope Francis expressed sorrow for residential school survivors.
Even the Anglican, United and Presbyterian churches apologised in the ’90s.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau personally asked the pope in 2017 to apologise, but the request was denied.
There are plans for Trudeau to meet with Indigenous leaders in the (Northern Hemisphere) autumn. Coren simply stated,
“Even when they’re not denying, they’re not doing anything.”
Indigenous leaders and settlers want to see Canada and the Catholic Church charged for their crimes against humanity, for their crimes of genocide.
The International Criminal Court has ‘opened’ a file but is still considering whether to investigate.
