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LETTER: Pitt Meadows letter writer calls for church accountability for residential schools

Cloak of secrecy allowed trauma and inapproriate acts to go on for far too long, resident writes
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Dear Editor,

[Re: 215 residential school children mourned, The News, June 4]

The planet needs to unite in moral solidarity to protest and lobby the Catholic Church to make restitution, apologies in person, and to reinvent their tarnished image.

To those who prescribe to this faith, my comments is not to slander, but to resurrect truths and to point blame where it lies as echoed by the PM.

There is a dark history of pedophiles and countless victims, scarred memories, injustices, hush payouts, and scandals.

Now, a residential school mass burial of FN kids in Kamloops, if not others, across Canada, and likely around the globe.

It is time the Pope and their upper brass to show leadership, grass-root beliefs, and remorse to denounce such evil and to cooperate with police and headships.

How many more Catholic schools have similar clandestine pasts and cloaked cover-ups?

To First Nations people, it is time to expose the truth, give respectful burials and identify bodies, and to launch lawsuits against the Church. The brave survivor stories of residential schools are credible, and need to be respected for truths and courage.

If crimes were committed we need to hunt down those responsible; like a shark on a blood trail. To FN we cannot extract words to heal your pain, but going after our government is not the answer, but rather aim for the Vatican and all involved. Solace to a hurt nation and may the silence be broken for all to hear.

The foundation of the religion, like Christians, Islam or others, is not the issue.

Rather it is those in authority we trust who abuse powers and cloak horrific acts in a shroud of secrecy.

There is a lack of transparency in these institutions and accountability.

It is far time they show true leadership than to shield bad apples, like reported in many journalist documentaries, that showcase a systematic chronic problem.

Kerwin Maude, Pitt Meadows

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• READ MORE: Religious order that ran residential school renews apology to Tk’emlups te Secwepemc


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