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LINK More Churches Up in Flames in Canada as Outrage Against Catholic Church Grows

The incidents occur amid ongoing reports of more than 1,000 unmarked graves of Indigenous children found at former residential schools, with the latest site announced in B.C. on Wednesday.

Another two Catholic Churches have been torched in Canada, as more Indigenous Nations have confirmed unmarked graves at residential school sites that likely hold the remains of Indigenous children.

At 3 a.m. on Wednesday, firefighters were called to a century-old Roman Catholic church just north of Edmonton after it lit up in flames. St. Jean Baptiste Parish in Morinville, Alberta, was basically destroyed in the fire.

"The fire was already fully involved from the basement when the first fire crews got here. They entered the building but there was already collapse occurring on the inside of the church so they backed out and it's been a defensive or exterior fire fight ever since," Morinville’s general manager of infrastructure, Iain Bushell, told CTV News.

RCMP have called the blaze “suspicious.”

A fire was also reported at 4:20 a.m. local time on Wednesday at the Catholic St. Kateri Tekakwitha Church in Sipekne'katik First Nation in Nova Scotia. RCMP are considering all fires across Canada while conducting investigations.

In less than two weeks, at least seven churches—all but one Catholic—have been found on fire across Canada. Catholic churches across the country have also been defaced, many strewn in blood red hand and foot prints. Some have had stuffed animals placed near the entrance, while one church in Saskatchewan had the words “we were children” painted across its doors.

The incidents occur amid new and ongoing reports of more than 1,000 unmarked graves of Indigenous peoples, mostly children, found at former residential school sites across Canada.

Last month, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation confirmed 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School—painful news that resulted in more Indigenous communities searching former residential schools in their territories. Saskatchewan and Manitoba have already announced unmarked graves, and last week, Cowessess First Nation confirmed that the remains of an estimated 751 Indigenous people are buried at Marieval Indian Residential School. Yet another site with 182 unmarked graves was announced this week following an investigation by the community of ʔaq'am, near Cranbrook, British Columbia, launched last year at the request of elders.

Residential schools were run by the Canadian government and churches to forcibly assimilate 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children, starting in the 1830s. Sweeping sexual and physical abuses were common and thousands of children died. According to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, about 4,100 students were killed at residential schools, but that number is likely to climb. Experts think it’s closer to 15,000. More than half of residential schools were run by Catholics, who are yet to apologize for their role.

The last residential school didn’t close until the late 1990s.

Across Canada, calls are mounting for the country and the Catholic Church to face criminal charges for crimes against humanity and genocide, and many life-long Catholics are considering leaving the church altogether.

Canada Day is also cancelled, at least for many.

HippieChick58 9 July 2
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6 comments

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2

Sadly I think that it will only add fuel to the Catholic Church's cult of martyrdom. Across the world right now, tens of thousands of priests are probably telling their congregations. "Do you see the rising tide of ungodliness, in Canada the pagans and atheists are even burning churches down, because they say it is wrong to save children's souls. Put more money in the box so that the church can fight this threat."

FUCK!!! You have an excellent point! The twisting perception isn't just relagated to the church. It has become pervasive and politicians are all in. I really see this in American naturally but even the catholic bishops I think work the crowds in a way that is different than some other parts of the world.

3

Hope they burn everyone of them to the fucking ground..

3

Just goes to prove the total hypocrisy of the Catholic church and their branding of abortion as being a form of genocide. Pedophilia, corrupt clergy and mass graves of dead children should give every Catholic pause. If not they are being blind and/or extremely stupid. I have no pity for these churches. Let them feel the wrath of society.

4

I am horrified. What I thought I knew about the deaths of indigenous children at these schools is a real eye opener. Mostly about the schools in the U.S., for some reason I thought the ones in Canada were not as bad.
May not be the right thing to do but I can sure understand why people are torching the churches.
Of course the Vatican says nothing. It always distances it self from this stuff.
OH! but claim to be pro choice and they'll not let you do communion.
Fuck the people who use their religion to commit atrocities and fuck the church for going along with it.

Ahman sister..

5

Generally I am not a fan of vandalism, but I find it impossible to weep for the church. They deserve to be shut down and officials criminally charged for complicity. Maybe these burnings will wake up more Catholics to the crimes of their "moral authority" figures, and more will leave the church en masse. But I know human nature dictates that this sense of siege will cause some to cling ever tighter to their Catholic identity.

We should not forget, however, the church was not alone in this atrocity.

5

I'm fine with all churches burning until they're no longer insurable. That, or they start paying their fair share in taxes.

Either burn them down; or turn them into housing for the needy or community centers. It's a shame to waste a good building.

@HippieChick58 Funny but, when you put it that way, religion becomes private property.

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