Letter to the editor : On naming the guilty

Notes: "Archbishop Mark MacDonald's column ['To find life on a day like this', November 2021, p. 5] is heartfelt but goes awry when he counsels against focusing on the identification of culprits. We need to point fingers at what he correctly calls 'colonial governments' and at the kind of indifference which bends such horrors as the unmarked graves to the passing winds of a 24-hour news cycle. We need to stop the clock and bring ourselves to judgment. The fact that governments still go about covering up unpopular activities must be addressed and altered. The church is not excused. The Catholic seal of confession which prefers abusive clergy to the pains and suffering of the abused needs some serious rethinking. We need to isolate the culprits and should not be surprised when we find that they are us". [Text of complete article.]; Author is "founding editor, 'The Walrus', Toronto, Ont."

Subjects: MacDonald, Mark L. (Mark Lawrence), 1954-; Indigenous peoples - Canada - 21st century; Indigenous peoples - Canada - Residential schools; Indigenous children - Abuse of - Canada; Graves - Canada; Colonialism - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada; Colonialism - Religious aspects - Christianity; Catholic Church - Clergy - Sexual behavior; Sexual abuse - Clergy - Catholic Church