Victims of former priest’s abuse need Anglican Church to apologize: minister
OTTAWA — A long-awaited public apology from the Anglican Church for the rampant sexual abuse perpetrated by former priest Ralph Rowe in the 1970s and 1980s will be vital in helping victims heal, Canada’s indigenous affairs minister says.
The Anglican Church of Canada acknowledged last week the tragic legacy of Rowe, a former Boy Scout leader who abused countless children during the two decades he spent travelling between remote First Nations communities in northern Ontario.
Indigenous leaders have suggested a link between that legacy and the recent suicide deaths of two 12-year-old girls earlier this month in Wapekeka First Nation, a fly-in community about 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont.
The church’s statement said Archbishop Fred Hiltz is taking part in an engagement process with other stakeholders as they work towards a formal national apology to victims and communities.