Anglican-government pact on Indian school suits rejected by Catholics - Children & Families

Community Action, Dec 9, 2002

OTTAWA -- An agreement between Anglican Church of Canada and the Governement of Canada changes the church's approach to lawsuits for compensation from former Indian residential school students. The federal govenment is using this agreement as a model for negotiations with the United and Presbyterian churches who are facing similar lawsuits. The Church will now approach these lawsuits from former students "as a whole denomination, involving all of the dioceses."

Roman Catholic Church officals claim that the government is using this agreement to pressure them to go along with the conditions which they find unacceptable.

The agreement outlines the way in which the Anglican Church and the federal government will participate in compensating Indian residential school students who suffered sexual and physical abuse at the schools, and provides for compensation to those students who have valid claims.

The agreement-in-principle, which still needs to be ratified by the Church's 30 independent dioceses across Canada includes:

* payment of 70 percent by Canada and 30 percent by the Church for all validated claims to a maximum Church contribution of $25 million,

* the establishment by the Church of a separate corporation for a Settlement Fund to pay compensation to survivors of sexual and physical abuse and the delivery of 100 percent of compensation to former students of Anglican residential schools with validated claims.

Spokespersons for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops claimed that the government plans to settle with other churches first and "then wedge us into a position we'd rather not be in." The Council is willing to assist the govenment in negotiating with Catholic groups facing litigation.

"We offered to facilitate discussions with those individual groups and the government didn't respond," Sister Marie Zarowny, a senior Catholic negotiator, said. "They've said they only want pan-denominational talks."