Actions and Commitments

Call to Action # 64: Education for Reconciliation (62-65)

Response of the Churches to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

June 2, 2015

The Anglican Church of Canada, The Presbyterian Church in Canada, the Roman Catholic Entities Parties to the Settlement Agreement, The United Church of Canada and the Jesuits of English Canada make the following statement in response to the findings and Calls to Action  issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada:

We acknowledge and welcome the specific calls to action that offer direction to the churches in our continuing commitment to reconciliation. In particular, we are committed to respect Indigenous spiritual traditions in their own right. As individual churches and in shared interfaith and ecumenical initiatives – for example through Kairos, through interfaith groups, and through the Canadian Council of Churches – we will continue to foster learning about and awareness of the reality and legacy of the residential schools, the negative impact of such past teachings as the Doctrine of Discovery, and the new ways forward found in places, such as  the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  We will continue our commitment to financial support for community-controlled initiatives in healing, language and cultural revitalization, education and relationship-building, and self-determination.

Canadian Council of Churches

Expression of Reconciliation
We commit to respect the right and freedom of Indigenous communities to practise traditional spirituality and teachings

We commit to value the gifts of Indigenous traditional teachings in Christian worship and pastoral practices, where appropriate, in consultation with your elders.

Faith Today: Your online guide to church responses to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report

https://www.faithtoday.ca/Magazines/2016-Sep-Oct/Your-Online-Guide-To-Church-Responses-To-The-Truth