The Archdiocese of Vancouver issued a statement today calling for “reconciliation, dialogue, and atonement with Indigenous people” rather than “hatred and violence” in the wake of attacks on churches as well as a controversial statement by the head of the BC Civil Liberties Association.

 “It is deeply distressing to hear the recent news of the burning down and vandalism of some churches,” said the archdiocesan statement.

“The right path forward is one of reconciliation, dialogue, and atonement with Indigenous people and in following the way they would lead us in that process. It is painful and disturbing to find people in positions of local authority urge mobs toward increasing hatred and violence. Churches are made up of people, and many of them here are made up of Indigenous people, refugees, and migrants – the very people we should all seek to protect rather than terrorize.” 

The statement followed several cases of vandalism of churches in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, the burning of churches across Canada, and remarks from the executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association that appeared to support the burning of churches. 

In a June 30 tweet about a news article on fires destroying Catholic churches, Harsha Walia wrote “burn it all down.”

The tweet, which received both support and criticism on social media, was condemned by B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, who said it was “just disgusting and reprehensible that somebody who heads up an organization like that would make such comments,” he said.

Nico Slobinsky of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Vancouver tweeted, “I don’t understand why the ED of the BC Civil Liberties Assoc is calling for violence. Violence and hate don’t appear to be solutions being proposed by Indigenous communities, and it is their voices we should be listening to and respecting on this matter.”

CIJA’s national office tweeted, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the burning and vandalism of churches across the #Canada. We too are deeply pained by the recent discoveries of unmarked graves in former residential schools...”

In a follow-up tweet it added, “As a society, we have much work to do towards truth & reconciliation, but violence cannot be the answer. It will not help us build a better future. To the contrary, it leads to deeper division & resentment.”

The most recent vandalism on a Lower Mainland church was St. Jude’s Parish in Vancouver which is calling on the public to help police identify two individuals who were videotaped splashing orange paint on the side of the church after dark on Canada Day.

Places of worship in other parts of B.C. and Canada have faced worse than a few splashes of paint. Catholic churches in Kamloops, Morinville, and Calgary area have been reduced to rubble or damaged by fire, while an Anglican church and Alliance church were also recently targeted by fires police believe were intentionally set.

This story is developing and will be updated.