Sask. Catholic bishops resurrect fundraising campaign for residential school survivors

WARNING: This story contains distressing details.

Catholic bishops in Saskatchewan are restarting fundraising efforts forresidential school survivors and their families.

The announcement follows calls for a church boycott until action is taken to fulfilthe $25-million fundraising pledge made by church bodies in the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.

It also follows a CBC News investigation this weekinto the political and legal eventsthat resultedin less than $4 million being raised.

"We have heard the strong request, from Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people in various quartersto initiate a new fundraising campaign to support survivors and engage more deeply in our own ongoing commitment and response to the Truth and Reconciliation process," states the joint letter from Saskatchewan's five bishops.

The letter states consultations have begun within the dioceses and they "look forward to responding with more detailsin the near future."

Officials from the Reginadiocese,Saskatoon diocese or the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishopscouldn't be immediately reachedfor comment Sunday. It's unclear when the campaign will begin, what the goal amount will beor whether bishops in otherprovinces will follow.

Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron, Kinistin Saulteaux Nation Chief Felix Thomas, Okanagan Indian Band Chief Byron Louis and others had recently called for Catholics to boycott Sunday mass until the remaining $21 million was paid.

On Sunday, Thomas and Cameron said they're encouraged by the development, but will wait to see dates, financial targetsand other details before they decide to continue or revoke the boycott calls.

"We have some good faith, but we had that previously and it didn't materialize," Thomas said.

Cameron said the Church must "follow through with their vows to raise $25 million as once committed for these survivors and their descendants."

They are also calling on the Catholic church to immediately release all records related to residential schools, and for Pope Francis to come to Canada to issue an apology, as outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action.

New effort 'must be highly transparent'

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, director of the University of British Columbia's Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre reviewed the bishops' statement.

"This is interesting news coming from the Bishops in Saskatchewan. I commend them for their announcement," said Turpel-Lafond, a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, located approximately 100 kilometres north of Saskatoon.

She said she's eager to see details.

"In the past, such announcements were not followed through, even though they were ordered by the Court, and Canadians and First Nations were left completely in the dark. To be credible, this new effort must be highly transparent and monitored by someone outside the church," she said.

WATCH |Director of UBC's Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre addresses Catholic Church compensation deal:

'Canada let them off the hook': Director of UBC's Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre says of Catholic Church compensation deal

3 years ago

Duration 4:50

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, a former Saskatchewan provincial court judge and current director of the University of British Columbia's Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, says a good gesture of reconciliation would be for the Catholic Church to fulfil its promise to raise $25 million to compensate tens of thousands of residential school survivors.

Turpel-Lafond and others have said that remaining $21 million is a "starting point" to repairing the church's relationship with survivors. They say concrete action by the Catholic churchis especially urgent following the discovery of more than 1,000 unmarked graves at former residential school sites in Kamloops, B.C.,the Cowessess First Nation in southern Saskatchewan and elsewhere.

They'd like to see fundraising campaigns for church buildings put on hold until the money for survivors is paid. They also favour diverting to the survivors' fund some of the tens of millions beingraised for Regina's Holy Rosary Cathedral, Toronto's St. Michael's Basilica and other current building projects.

Survivors and others have said that if Canadian Catholic churches won't pay, the Vatican should. They pointed to the Vatican Bank's estimated $6 billion in assets, and the church's global land holdings.

That includes speculative real estate investments of more than $500 million in one London office building alone, according tocharges against10 officials announced this weekend by Vatican prosecutors.

In thelandmark 2005 Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, the Catholic church first agreed to make alump $29-million cash payment, and did pay most of that. It also agreed to provide $25 million of "in kind services." Officials say that was fulfilled, although the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops declined to provide a listof those services to CBC News. Some critics also questioned why the perpetrator was allowed to provide in-kind services to the victims.

The third Catholic church promise wasto give its "best efforts" at fundraising $25 million for survivors.

After a decade, more than $21 million of that fundraising commitmentremained unpaid. All other churches involved in the settlement United, Anglican and Presbyterian paid their full shares without incident.

The church went to court and pointed to the "best efforts" clause, saying it hadtried its best. OnJuly 16, 2015,the judge agreed and absolved the church of its legal obligation.

Supportis available for anyone affected by their experience atresidentialschools, and those who are triggered by these reports.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for residential school survivors and others affected.

People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.