Canadian Anglican Church Bankrupt Due to Lawsuits

by Defender 5 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Defender

  http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20010706/611059.html
• 

  AlanF

  I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop on this. Thanks for posting!

  Watchtower Society moles take note! Your Society will be similarly dissolved due to massive fuck-ups in handling child molestation issues. Your God will not save you. Your leaders have betrayed whatever God you think you worship. You're toast. You who have supported these criminals over the years, actively or passively -- you deserve what you get.

  AlanF
• 

  Eusebius Hieronymus

  Would the Governing Body ever personally apologize for its mistakes? 'Fess up? Say they need to repent? Publicly acknowledge and recognize past failures? Say the first step is telling the truth? Say "Pray that we may all perceive the need for our own healing"?

  Stopped laughing yet?
  
  The head of the Anglican Church of God did, in an open letter read aloud in every congregation of that church last year!

  He said: "Healing never happens if we ignore the wounds. The first step is truth-telling -- recognizing and acknowledging past failures."

  "We have an obligation, and a will born of our desire to be just, to account for past injustice."

  "We have an obligation, and a will born of our desire to be just, to account for past injustice.
  
  "Healing also requires being prepared to turn and walk in a different
  direction. Indeed repentance means 'turning around'. The wounds of past
  prejudices, injustices and broken trust will never be healed unless we
  'strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of
  every human being.'"
  
  Would the GB make statements like that? A filthy Babylonish "Christian" whore sure did. The GB lies about its mortal enemy, and many of us have believed their falsehood that Catholicism and other religions hide pedophiles and have no enlightened policies. Bet that will be spotlighted.

  But then, are you seeing their new coziness with the U.N.?

  Cynical today,
  Jerry

  Document from my files for those who want more than the bite, courtesy of another poster: Letter

  [start quotation]

  to be read in congregations of the Anglican Church of Canada, as permitted
  by the Diocesan bishop, on Sunday, May 28, 2000.
  
  Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
  
  I write to share something of this moment in the life of the Anglican Church
  of Canada. In this troubling time we are faced with litigation so costly as
  to change radically our structures and our life as a national church. But
  the time is also profoundly hopeful; God leads us ever deeper into the path
  of healing and new life.
  
  Simply put: resulting from abuse in the residential schools, there are over
  1600 claims of varying kinds brought against the General Synod of the
  Anglican Church of Canada. About one hundred cases involve the proven abuse
  of children, and the perpetrators are in prison. The costs of litigation and
  settlements for these alone is sufficient to exhaust all the assets of the
  General Synod and of some dioceses involved.
  
  What does this mean? For the national church, the way we presently carry out
  our mission will be modified. We are negotiating with the federal government
  in order to find alternatives to litigation by which we can make a just
  contribution to compensation. We will know in a few months if an agreement
  is possible. However, whether or not this is achievable, we will be a very
  different Church.
  
  Where in this do I discern hope? At the heart of it, we trust God is with us
  in the choices we face, that we will find new ways to carry out our shared
  mission and that we will continue to work for healing and reconciliation.
  
  Healing and reconciliation is our first and clearly-affirmed goal. Both the
  Council of General Synod and the House of Bishops gave it the strongest
  possible support in meetings earlier this month. The legacy of the schools
  has been deeply wounding. Healing never happens if we ignore the wounds. The
  first step is truth-telling -- recognizing and acknowledging past failures.

  The Anglican Church of Canada collaborated with the Government of Canada in
  a policy that brought pain to many individuals and despair in many
  communities. That injury continues into the present. We have an obligation,
  and a will born of our desire to be just, to account for past injustice.
  
  Healing also requires being prepared to turn and walk in a different
  direction. Indeed repentance means "turning around". The wounds of past
  prejudices, injustices and broken trust will never be healed unless we
  "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of
  every human being". Ever since the General Synod of 1969 set us in a new
  direction, aboriginal and non-aboriginal Anglicans have been learning to
  walk together in a different way. I assure aboriginal brothers and sisters
  that we will not be deflected from this road. I call each of us to recommit
  ourselves to that path, so that together we may find the healing Christ
  offers in his Cross and Resurrection.
  
  I want to assure all Anglicans that what is at risk financially are our
  assets, not the contributions that provide for the ongoing ministry and
  mission of the church at parish, diocesan or national levels. Your
  contributions serve the mission of the church -- not the costs of
  litigation. If our present structures cease to exist, we will find a way for
  our contributions to continue to serve that work.

  How do we continue authentically if the depletion of our assets means we are
  unable to meet the claims against us? I believe that our greatest asset in
  the Anglican Church of Canada is our ability to be in relationship, to
  support and care for each other. This will survive. So will our capacity to
  worship, to learn, to grow, to serve and to bear witness to Christ. Nothing
  at the heart of our faith -- our desire for wholeness and healing in
  ourselves, in our relationships, in our country and in our world -- is at
  risk. We have these abundant and enduring assets that will help us continue
  to do justice and work for healing. As we move into the future, I ask for
  your prayers: for the bishops and people of Cariboo and Qu'Appelle dioceses
  who are most immediately concerned; for the Anglican Council of Indigenous
  Peoples who give outstanding leadership, and who bear such love for the
  whole of the Church; for those whose ministries are given over to witness in
  the courts. Pray that we may all perceive the need for our own healing.
  
  We read in the gospels how Jesus speaks of things ending -- of the heavens
  and earth in turmoil. In one sense, it is a picture of chaos. But Jesus says
  that it is more truly to be interpreted as a birth: ".when these things
  begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption
  is drawing near." (Luke 21:28) For many in the church, things are being
  shaken, and it feels like chaos. But we stand up and raise our heads; God is
  present and leads us into something new.

  When we look up at the evening horizon, we see the sun falling. Turn the
  other way, and we will see it rise. I believe with all my heart, and with
  sure confidence, that God is with us both in the falling and in the rising,
  and that, even in our dying, God will bring us to new life.
  
  (Signed)
  +Michael
  
  Archbishop and Primate
• 

  MacHislopp

  Hello Defender,

  Thanks for this excellent piece of information!

  To Eusebius Hieronymus :

  I do appreciate your comments
  and the new about the Head of The Anglican Church of
  Canada. I ha´ve noticed also the statement:
  " The A.C.of Canada collaborated with the Government
  of Canada…" Surely an open confession of serious guilt!

  These kind of news should be reported on a wider scale even in Europe
  I do hope that the Watchtower Observer will do it!

  Precious informations.

  Greetings J.C.MacHislopp
• 

  waiting

  Hello Defender,

  Thanks for the url address. To make it a working click - just add a word, etc., in front of it.

  Like so: http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20010706/611059.html

  Church groups operated residential schools as agents of the government. Almost 8,000 former students have filed claims alleging widespread physical and sexual abuse and loss of language and culture.

  Last month, Mr. Gray received the go-ahead from the Cabinet to negotiate a deal with the four Christian denominations facing residential school claims.

  Anyone know the four churches involved?

  Anglicans have insisted that a deal should only require them to contribute money and human resources toward healing programs and other social work in native communities.

  Because there are too many victims to deal with individually?

  The main stumbling block to a deal is the question of how much churches should have to put into a fund that would aim to resolve residential school claims.

  So......back to squabbling about money among the church denominations.

  However, Archbishop Peers said yesterday he might be able to convince Anglicans to contribute money toward individual legal settlements, as long as an agreement with Ottawa limiting overall liability is in place.

  So......we'll pay Johnny $........., but in return, no more lawsuits above $.............allowed - no matter how many Johnnys or Marys surface.

  Church groups operated residential schools as agents of the government. Almost 8,000 former students have filed claims alleging widespread physical and sexual abuse and loss of language and culture.

  If the Church goes bankrupt, Ottawa will have to pay Church liabilities anyway as a co-defendant in all the aboriginal lawsuits.

  There's the dig. The liabilities will be paid for the churchs' sins by the Ottawa government - unless a deal is struck between the 8,000 defendants (lawyers), the government and the four churches.

  I bet a deal comes through in the nick of time. Or the Angelican Church is brought back as The Reformed Angelican Church. Having gone bankrupt, and their liabilities covered by the Ottawa government - they can come back however they wish (at least to my understanding.)

  Thanks, Defender, for the information.

  waiting
• 

  hawkaw

  I remember Bob Simon of 60 Minutes II (liberal lamestreet press dude who likes covering the Jew/PLO scrap and seemingly blaming the Jews for everything) asking the one native Canadian this question - How do you feel about putting these churches (RC & Ang.) into bankruptcy?

  His response - They should have thought about that before they started beating the hell out of us.

  As a Canadian, I couldn't think of a better line than that to get the point across. These poor people were beaten and abused by priests et. al. from both churches. And the Government(s) & churches deserve what they get for it. Oh BTW I find it wild that with this going on, the Anglican St. Georges Cath. in downtown Kingston, Ontario is continuing with its mutlimillion dollar face lift that started in the spring. hmmm....

  hawk