The history of colonialism has left a tremendous mark on the history and lives of multiple indigenous people, causing them tremendous harm. The specified destructive nature of the colonialist approach appeals to the Christian Church as well due to the aggressive promotion of Christian faith and the lack of concern for the well-being and dignity of Native residents. In its recent article, “Canada Calls on Pope to Apologize after Indigenous Children’s Remains Found,” “The Guardian” makes a statement about the need for a public apology. Although the insistent demand for the papal apology that the Canadian authorities are currently making could seem inappropriate at first, the devastating nature of the exploitation that the Native children whose corpses were discovered in the area of the former residential school system justify the specified gesture.
The article indicates that the government provides extensive support for indigenous communities by carefully considering the nature of their oppression and recognizing the harm that they have experienced as a result of colonialism. Although the effects of the latter still prevail in the modern community and the relationships between indigenous people and the local residents, important steps in addressing the issue of social justice are made (“Canada Calls on Pope to Apologize after Indigenous Children’s Remains Found”). However, the issue of social security, along with the protection of cultural legacy of indigenous populations should also become one of the main priorities of the Canadian government.
Despite the seeming inappropriateness of the demand that the Canadian government has made to the Pope in regard to the discovery of the buried remains of abused indigenous children, the apology is essential since it will address the colonialist past of the Christian church and allow managing some of the more recent issues that the Church has faced. Therefore, the specified concern should be seen not only as the issue of ethics, but as the opportunity to restore the relationships between the Christian Church and the global community.
Work Cited
“Canada Calls on Pope to Apologize after Indigenous Children’s Remains Found.” The Guardian, 2021, Web.