Ontario pastor under fire for comments about 'good that was done' by residential schools
A Mississauga, Ont. pastor has issued a public apology for comments he made about the “good that was done” in residential schools operated by the Catholic Church.
Pastor Owen Keenan of Merciful Redeemer Parish made the controversial remarks during a sermon as he referenced the discovery of unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school in British Columbia, where the remains of more than 200 children were found.
"Two thirds of the country is blaming the church, which we love, for the tragedies that occurred there," Keenan said in a clip of the sermon posted to Reddit. “Now I presume that the same number would thank the church for the good that was done in those schools but of course that question was never asked and in fact we are not allowed to even say that good was done in those schools.”
Keenan has faced significant criticism on social media for his remarks, which come amid a national reckoning regarding Canada’s residential schools system.
In a statement sent to CP24, Keenan acknowledged “the pain and anger which has been magnified” as a result of the portion of his remarks that have circulated on social media and pledged “to do better.”
TThe apology comes as news surfaces that an estimated 751 unmarked graves have been found at the site of a former residential school in Saskatchewan.
“I am deeply sorry, embarrassed, ashamed and shocked at the revelations of abuse, destruction and harm done in residential schools across this country,” Keenan said. “As a Catholic and a priest, I in no way condone the residential school system, I regret deeply that these places existed, and I lament the harm that was caused. If and when I get a chance to meet survivors, I will seek their forgiveness.”
An estimated 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Metis children attended residential schools between the 1860s and 1996
A report released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015 documented a wide range of mistreatment at the schools, including the emotional, physical and sexual abuse of children.
It also noted that there were at least 4,100 deaths associated with the schools.
During a briefing on Thursday morning, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie read a prepared statement in which she said that she was “extremely disappointed” to learn about Keenan’s “deeply insensitive” comments.
She also added that she had already spoken with Keenan personally and told him “his comments have no place in Mississauga.”
“His comments show a fundamental misunderstanding of one of the core tragedies of the residential schools system in Canada: that children were forcibly separated from their parents,” she said. “For the first time we are truly confronting our history and learning the truth about what really happened. I grieve for the hundreds and likely thousands of children in the unmarked graves who never had a full life and experienced tremendous pain and suffering and deep sadness.”
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society toll free line is: 1 (800) 721-0066.
A 24-hour crisis line for residential school survivors is: 1 (866) 925-4419 if you require further emotional support or assistance.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.