Note: The following Churches will be examined in the upcoming Blackfoot Tribunal: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, United church, Mormon (LDS) and over 100 lawsuits per month are being launched by First Nations victims of these churces in Canada (over 7000 lawsuits so far). James Craven Clark College, 1800 E. McLoughlin Blvd. Vancouver, WA. 98663 (360) 992-2283; Fax: (360) 992-2863 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.home.earthlink.net/~blkfoot5 *My Employer Has No Association With My Private/Protected Opinion* "I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject, I do not wish to think, or speak, or write with moderation. No! No! Tell a man whose house is on fire to give a moderate alarm; tell him to moderately rescue his wife from the hands of the ravisher; tell the mother to gradually extricate her babe from the fire into which it has fallen; but urge me not to use moderation in a cause like the present. I am in earnest--I will not equivocate--I will not excuse. I will not retreat a single inch--and I will be heard." (William Lloyd Garrison, Abolitionist, on Slavery, 1831) -----Original Message----- From: Jon Schaefer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000 10:56 AM To: Eugene Johnson; Jim Craven Subject: Fwd: [NativeNews] First BC Church Goes Under From Native Sexual Abuse Suits --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 12:21:14 -0400 > Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [NativeNews] First BC Church Goes Under From > Native Sexual Abuse Suits > > From: Don <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > October 16, 2000 > > B.C. churches told to list assets > > Richard Foot > National Post > > QUESNEL, B.C. - Federal lawyers have asked Anglican > churches in British > Columbia to provide a list of jewels and paintings they > own as a means > of recouping the cost of residential school lawsuits > against the > government. > > Ottawa's request was revealed here this weekend as the > Diocese of > Cariboo voted to wind up operations and declare > bankruptcy within 12 > months, after being forced into financial ruin by sexual > abuse lawsuits > filed by former students of a native residential school. > The diocese is > the first Christian organization in Canada to fall as a > result of the > thousands of lawsuits brought against Ottawa and various > churches. > > Bud Smith, the diocesan chancellor, or lawyer, to priests > and delegates > from 17 parishes who gathered this weekend to consider > their future, > said government lawyers have asked him to detail what > jewellery and art > the diocese has among its assets. > > "I don't know what kind of paintings you've got > squirrelled away in your > basements," Mr. Smith told a room of church delegates > this weekend, who > proposed sending children's paintings from Sunday school > classes to > Ottawa. "The only jewellery we have is the Bishop's ring, > and one would > hope the government won't take the Bishop's ring." > > Despite the anger and weariness of Anglicans here, there > is hope the > Church will rise up out of bankruptcy in renewed form -- > even if their > buildings are sold and people are forced to worship in > school classrooms > or private homes. > > "We're not toast, we're yeast," declared buttons worn by > the faithful > this weekend. > > "Spiritually, we may be yeast," said Mr. Smith, a former > B.C. > attorney-general. "But financially, we are toast. The > Diocese of Cariboo > is broke. That's the cold, hard truth of the matter." > > Together with the national arm of the Anglican Church and > the federal > government, the Diocese of Cariboo has been named as a > defendant in > lawsuits brought by 15 former students of a residential > school in > Lytton, B.C. Anglicans managed the school until 1969 on > behalf of the > federal government. In 1998, both groups were found > "vicariously liable" > for the sexual abuse committed against students there by > a dormitory > supervisor, who was convicted in an earlier criminal > trial. > > The Church was ordered to pay 60%, the government 40%, of > an estimated > $200,000 settlement to Floyd Mowatt, the first plaintiff. > The remaining > cases are still before the courts. Of the 15 plaintiffs, > only Mr. Mowatt > and two others have directly sued the Church. Twelve sued > only the > federal government, which then chose to hold the Church > liable in these > cases by naming it as a third-party co-defendant. > > The national arm of the Church says it might go bankrupt > some time next > year as a result of these and other cases. The Diocese of > Cariboo -- a > small rural diocese of only 4,000 members spread across a > vast section > of the B.C. interior -- has already liquidated its cash > investments to > pay more than $350,000 in legal fees over the last three > years. It is no > longer being represented in lawsuits against it. > > Officials here say it is the first Anglican diocese in > the Commonwealth > to be sued into insolvency. > > The diocese's individual parishes, which have not been > named in the > suits, are still operating on their own budgets. But Jim > Cruickshank, > Bishop of Cariboo, says the financial uncertainty and the > stigma of > dealing with sexual abuse issues has wreaked havoc with > Church > operations throughout the region. Collection plate > givings are down, > favourite priests have left the diocese in recent months > and some > members have cut the Church from their wills. > > More importantly, Church law and custom requires parishes > to unite > within a diocese under the episcopal authority of a > bishop. If the > diocese disappears, it raises a number of questions, > including how the > parishes will function, who will ordain new ministers and > who will > confirm children. > > "Oh how I wish we could get rid of this litigation and > get on with being > a Church," said Bishop Cruickshank, who will lose his job > as a result of > the bankruptcy. > > The diocese's remaining assets are its church buildings, > whose fate is a > key factor in how the residential school struggle will > unfold between > the government and all the churches. > > Having named the diocese as a third-party defendant in > many lawsuits, > Ottawa will seek to recover liabilities from the Church > as compensation > in each case is awarded. The government is therefore the > major creditor > when the diocese declares bankruptcy. Justice Department > lawyers have > already produced a federal document that puts the total > assessed value > of the diocesan properties at $3,357,170. > > Mr. Smith says the government cannot have these Church > buildings because > the diocese holds title to the property in trust for the > parishes. But > he says federal lawyers believe the diocese owns the > properties > outright. If so, they could be liquidated in a bankruptcy > proceeding. > Ultimately, a court might have to decide. > > Throughout the weekend, emotions alternated between shame > and sorrow for > the Church's role in residential schools and a rising > sense of anger > that cherished Church buildings may be bulldozed as a > result. > > "Churches in Cariboo are sacred places," said Rob Taylor, > a member of > St. Peter's Anglican Church in Williams Lake, B.C. "They > are not garages > or strip malls or even family businesses that have been > passed from one > generation to the next. They are the homes where the > momentous events in > our lives are celebrated." > > Others expressed hope the bankruptcy might allow the > Church to come > clean with its past, shed itself of physical distractions > and focus on > its core assets -- its people. > > "This is a liberating experience," said the Rev. Mark > Lemon, a priest in > Quesnel. "This is excising the poison from our veins." > > Added Bishop Cruickshank: "I believe God has looked at > this old Anglican > Church, this establishment Church and has said, 'I'm > going to prune it a > bit.' So we'll be pruned, and we'll grow back as a more > compassionate > Church. Because now we know what it feels like to be > powerless." > > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! 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