Catholic Bishops, institutes of consecrated life, societies of apostolic life and other Catholic organizations in Canada support this Declaration and believe that its spirit can point a way forward to reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada, including:
- Respecting Indigenous Spiritual Practices
- Publicly supporting The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Understanding and respecting their cultural traditions, religious consciousness and their long-standing ability to decide and control their development programs
The Catholic response also frames their response in the context that the Catholic Church is not a national church and “each diocese, institute of consecrated life and society of apostolic life has its own proper autonomy”, …the undersigned reiterate the teaching of the Catholic Church on the universality of human rights, particularly the right to freedom of religion and belief.
The Catholic response also highlights eight commitments in “Walking Forward Together” while expressing a caveat that the As representatives of the Catholic faithful in Canada, and counting on the full collaboration of the Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council, we appeal to all our Catholic brothers and sisters — laity, members of institutes of consecrated life and of societies of apostolic life, deacons, priests, and Bishops — to make their own the following commitments, as recommended by the Commission for Justice and Peace of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, in the hope and desire to continue to walk together with Indigenous Peoples in building a more just society where their gifts and those of all people are nurtured and honoured.
Signatories:
- President, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Chairman, CCCB Commission for Justice and Peace
- Chair, Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council
- President, Canadian Religious Conference
- President, Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace
- Executive Director, Canadian Religious Conference
- Executive Director, Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace
http://www.cccb.ca/site/images/stories/pdf/catholic response call to action 48.pdf