More on Imperialism and Religion

Written by: Duncan B. on 1 April 2025

In 2022, during a Papal visit to Canada, Pope Francis apologised many times for the abuse that Indigenous children suffered at Catholic-run residential schools, as well as for the Church’s adoption of policies that stripped away Indigenous culture. He said that “taking away the children, changing the culture and mentality, and erasing an entire culture was effectively a genocide.”

Indigenous Australians would welcome similar apologies from the heads of the Catholic, Anglican and all the other denominations that did the same thing in Australia, for their part in helping to destroy Indigenous culture and languages.

In Canada, as in Australia, Africa and everywhere else in the world conquered by imperialism, the invaders had a firm belief in the superiority of Christianity as a religion over all other religions. With their strong racist views, they believed that the indigenous inhabitants were members of an inferior race with inferior cultures and religion.

In Australia these racist views made them blind to the fact that they were dealing with a people who were deeply religious, with a culture profoundly influenced by their spiritual beliefs. The invaders could not comprehend the strong ties the Indigenous people had with their Country. The invaders believed that their actions were ordained by God and therefore justifiable. They saw themselves as the rightful inheritors of the land and were entitled to take it from a lower form of man which was destined to die out anyway.

Indigenous leaders are calling for churches to go beyond merely apologising for the harm caused by their past actions, but to deliver justice to Indigenous Australians. Some have called for the churches to pay reparations. Among these is Professor Anne Pattel-Gray. Professor Pattel-Gray is an Australian Aboriginal theologian and author.  She is a Bidjara/Kari Kari woman from Queensland, and the first Indigenous person to obtain a PhD from the University of Sydney. Her books include The Great White Flood: Racism in Australia. 

In 2023 Professor Pattel-Gray wrote, “Reparations are another critical part of decolonising the church, as this is where Indigenous land is given back, or Indigenous peoples are compensated for its theft. Colonial invaders stole this land from the Indigenous peoples and the collusion between the Australian government and churches has given churches  great wealth, power and privilege. It is not enough to say “Sorry”. It is important for Australian churches to act on delivering justice to Indigenous Christians. Now is the time for “Voice”, “Truth-telling” and “Treaty.” And now is the time for churches to atone for the sins of their forebears and pay reparations to the Indigenous churches and nations for the theft of land, for slavery, cultural genocide and the stolen generations.”

The call for reparations is a just one which should be supported. However, given the way churches have used every legal trick that they can to try and avoid paying reparations to the victims of sexual assault by priests, there is not much hope of the churches ever paying one cent in reparations to Indigenous people without a struggle.

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