Thousands of Catholic books have been removed from school libraries in the name of “reconciliation” in Ontario, Canada.
Popular French-language publications such as Tintin, Asterix and Lucky Luke are among the titles purged from the shelves.
The discarded books were deemed subversive and allegedly perpetuated racist stereotypes, with illustrations or language deemed offensive to minorities.
About 30 of the discarded books were then burned in a so-called “purification” ceremony.
Radio-Canada says over the past two years the seven French-language schools run by the Providence Catholic School removed nearly 5,000 books from their shelves.
According to a school board spokesperson, the initiative was intended to “make a gesture of openness and reconciliation”.
Rather than sweetening the atmosphere, the issue is souring the campaign trail to Canada’s federal elections, due to be held on 20 September.
In particular, the purge of Catholic books is exacerbating positions on the issue of identity, which is described as being “highly sensitive”.
At such a level of naïve optimism, the most just of causes does not need an adversary, Radio-Canada says.
As CathNews has reported several times over the past few months, the trauma caused by the Canadian residential schools scandal will haunt Canadian society for a long time.
Overcoming the trauma requires the patient work of memory and dialogue, Jérôme Chapuis, editor-in-chief of La Croix newspaper says.
In his view, taking a careful, patient approach to trauma is the exact opposite of what’s being promoted by supporters of the “cancel culture”, which is a culture of erasure and forgetting.
“Such matters are too serious to be settled with a tweet or the strike of a match.”
Chapuis then observes: “The lesson applies to us as well. All societies are grappling with their present or past demons.
“When we claim to reconcile cultures, the last thing we should do is to give in to emotion or naivety.”
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