After many years of refusing to apologize to First Nations of Canada – the Catholic Bishops offered their ‘sincere apology’. It was neither an apology nor was it sincere. Actions speak louder than voice, dear bishops. You came short on the ‘action’ side by milestones. And years too late. You, who made the most money on that scheme called ‘Residential Schools’ of all others. You, who committed the most of all the heinous and unspeakable acts perpetrated against these children, forced into your ‘care’ by barbarous law of the land. No other entity (other than Canada as a state) came even close. All other Churches, much smaller and poorer than you – accepted their guilt, apologized and paid agreed upon compensation. You should have paid for, depending on the sources, between 60 to 70% of all the Churches, who run the schools, since you operated 60 to 70% of them. The United, Anglican and Presbyterian Churches paid their share years ago.

Let see how much you actually were assessed by the Courts to pay. Was it close to the 60 or 70%? And did you actually paid the survivors for the their pain and suffering?

Dr. Mike DeGagne, president of the Nipissing University in Ontario and recipient of the Order of Canada researched that problem rather well and that research become to be known as the “The Catholic Church Math” – an innovative ‘school of math’ very different from that taught at schools and universities. I would call it, appropriately, heavenly math. Very different from Earthly math known to humans from times much older than Catholic Church. 

It first started as a normal math and logic. Through consultation and court rulings it was agreed that out of all reparations owned to survivors the Government agreed that since the Schools were established by Government – it assumed responsibility for 70% of all damages. The Churches were assigned 30% of the settlement, out of which, logically, close to 70% was assigned to Catholic Church. All parties involved agreed. Again, logic was, as it should be, the prevailing argument. No, the State (Canada) did not committed such heinous, criminal acts as the Churches. Yet, the State gave the Churches  almost a free rein in running the schools and therefore it’s culpability is and should be the largest. The State was the proverbial gate  guard, who let the fox in and gave it control of the chicken coop. The ‘fox’ , of course, being the Christian Churches.  

After the reaching the agreement, the Catholic Church begun a big scheme. That would amount to hundreds of millions of dollars. Poor Catholic Church, despite being one of the richest institution in the world, could not stomach it.

 

Thus the Heavenly math begun.

Since this compensation would amount to hundreds of millions of dollars the Catholic Church argued their case. They brought in their fancy lawyers from the Vatican, who argued that the Vatican Holy Catholic Church as an organization did not exist in Canada. Even though the Vatican is one of the richest organizations in the world and have amassed trillions and trillions of dollars over the years, the Catholic Church refused to pay any compensation to First Nations Residential School Survivors. Instead the Church (the Vatican) left the blame to fall on the small components or entities of the Catholic Church that operated within Canada. In short the dioceses and parishes. The Vatican then shielded itself from these entities by insisting that these entities operated outside the Church so therefore the Vatican was not legally responsible for the actions committed by these entities.

Even though these so-called Catholic Church entities in Canada are controlled by the Vatican and send the majority of their money to the Vatican, the Vatican insist they operate outside the Church. Basically what the Catholic Church did was cut off their arm to save the body knowing that these entities in Canada would end up bankrupt before they could pay any substantial compensation to the Residential School Survivors.

Since the Vatican freed themselves of any damages suffered by First Nations people in Canada, any compensation would therefore have to come from these so called Catholic Church entities. After much debate the Catholic Church ‘entities’ in Canada argued down their contribution to the compensations for damages, and in the end the Catholic Church ‘entities’ agreed that they would pay $70 million in compensation to the Residential School Survivors. The Federal Government stated that the Catholic Churches contribution of $70 million should go to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. This $70 million would go towards the healing aspect of the process.

• $70 millions – $20 million (In Kind Contribution) = $50 million

However, before paying any of the $70 million, the Catholic Church in Canada argued that $20 million should come off the top for any and all services that were already provided by the Catholic Church across Canada since the Residential schools closed. These services, the Church argued, included funerals, baptisms, first communions, Sunday service, bible study classes, weddings etc., services that the Catholic Churches would have provided anyways. However, the Church now wanted to be compensated $20 million dollars for all the work they provided within Aboriginal communities across Canada. The Catholic Church called this $20 million, “In Kind Contribution!” This was accepted by the Court and therefore left $50 million of the original $70 million the Catholic Church had to pay to Residential School Survivors. Never mind that this amounts to publicly admitting that all sacraments should be treated as a business commodity with affixed price tag. But this comment I should leave for catholic consciousness to weigh. 

• $50 million – $20 million (best effort) = $30 million

Next, the Catholic Church in Canada argued that they should have an opportunity to raise $20 million of the $50 million and promised they would make their best effort to raise the $20 million dollars. This was titled “Best Effort” and was accepted by the Court. However, the problem with this is that the Catholic Church’s entities in Canada have a hard time raising even one million dollars, let alone $20 million.

80% of the money that is raised by these Catholic Church entities through contributions and/or fund raising etc. has to go straight to the Diocese. The Diocese is basically the administration part of the Church run by Bishops, who in turn send a majority of the money they receive straight to the Vatican. Even though the Vatican argued the Catholic Church did not exist in Canada and left blame to the Canadian Church entities, the Vatican still continues to collect money from these entities. In the end zero dollars of this so-called “Best Effort” $20 million dollars were raised by the Church and thus sadly the Catholic Church never paid one single dollar of this $20 million of $70 million dollars they agreed to pay to the Residential School Survivors.

• $30 million – $8 million (Previous Court Settlements) = $22 million dollars

Of the remaining $30 million, the Church argued, that $8 Million dollars needed to come off the top for previous court settlements that resulted when private individuals took the Catholic Church to court for wrongs that they as individuals suffered in Residential Schools prior to the class action lawsuit.

• $22 million – $6 million (Future Services) = $16 million

Now, of this $22 million the Catholic Church argued that 20% needs to go to any future services the Catholic Church may provide for First Nation communities in Canada. These future services include funerals, baptisms, first communions, Sunday service, bible study classes, weddings etc. Although these services are services the Catholic Church would have provided anyways, the Catholic Church wants to be prepaid for these services they may provide. Furthermore, the Catholic Church wanted to have these so called future services subtracted from what they had to pay to Residential School Survivors, despite the fact that these services are paid for by the First Nations themselves since many community administrations include Church services within their budget. So even though the Catholic Church would receive payment for their future services through contributions made to them by First Nations, the Court allowed this 20% deduction from the remaining $22 million.

So here is the math. 20% of $22 million is $6 Million that will come off the top for future services the Church may provide in the future even though they provide these services anyways.

More legal skirmishes

After all these deductions, only $16 million dollars was left from the initial $70 million that was supposed to go to the Aboriginal Healing Process to help with the healing process of Residential School Survivors. However, before the Catholic Church handed over any of the remaining $16 million, the Church demanded that they have representatives on the board of the Aboriginal healing Process. These representatives, the Catholic Church argued, should have control over where the money is spent or where it is allocated. The Aboriginal Healing Process refused this demand, but stated that they would allow the representatives from the Catholic Church to sit on their Board. Moreover, the Aboriginal Healing Process would decide where the money is spent.

In response, the Catholic Church refused to pay any of the remaining $16 million of the original agreed $70 million to the Aboriginal Healing Process. The Catholic Church started campaigning other Indigenous organizations across Canada, offering the $16 million dollars to any organization that would allow the church to control where the money was spent.

Most of the Aboriginal organizations refused the Church’s offer. Finally the Assembly of First Nation (AFN) under Phil Fontaine agreed to accept the $16 million under the Catholic Church’s terms. However, Phil Fontaine resigned before AFN could receive the $16 million and when Shawn Atleo became National Chief, he immediately reneged on AFN’s previous agreement and refused to accept the $16 million. Instead, Shawn Atleo openly insisted that the $16 million must go to the Aboriginal Healing Process. When the Church again refused, the Canadian Federal Government finally intervened and forced the Catholic Church to pay the Aboriginal Healing Process.

However, the Catholic Church only paid $14.4 Million and kept $1.6 million. The Church insisted this $1.6 million was for administration cost. After evidence came in showing the Church lied, the Courts stepped in and forced the Catholic Church to pay the remaining $1.6 million. Finally, in December 2015 the Catholic Church paid the remaining 1.6 million.

There you go – according to (and approved by Canadian Courts and Government) ‘heavenly math’ of the Holy Roman Catholic Church (or the Canadian ‘independent entities’ of the Church) the unspeakable crimes of cultural genocide, rape, physical and mental abuses and finally death of many, inflicted on generations of First Nations Children is worth 16 million dollars.

Have you ever visited any of wonderful cathedrals of the Church in Canada? These ornate, grandiose buildings  in all type of architectural styles, adorned with rich tapestry of art? To any of its basilicas, oratories? Have you? No, not your local and often poor wooden church of your local parish. Have you seen the vastness of land the Catholic Church owns in Canada from sea to sea to sea? The properties in the middle of most expensive cities in Canada like Vancouver, or Montreal, or Toronto? Not even churches or other sacred places. There are hospitals (like St. Paul in downtown Vancouver), schools of all levels, businesses. I would not ask if you have visited Vatican City and seen the grandiose, stunning and overwhelming beauty and richness (bot spiritual and also very much material) of this place. There is not a single Imperial or Royal Court, Palace or castle anywhere in the world that can compare to Vatican’s splendour.

And that Church, that Religious Institution was able to gather only 16 million to pay as reparations to survivors of the hell called Indian Residential Schools. 16 years after many years of court battles and legal challenges. it took years for its Canadian bishops to utter ‘we are sorry’.

Your Eminences – I don’t trust you and I don’t believe you. As religious leaders, as shepherds, as administrators you have not only mislead First nations in Canada, you have mislead your flock – you mislead Canadian Catholics, who honestly believe in your message, your service and your honesty.