Pope Francis apologises to Indigenous Canadians for abuses at residential schools
- About 150,000 children were taken from their homes, with many subjected to abuse, rape and malnutrition in a ‘cultural genocide’
- The scandal erupted anew last year with the discovery of the remains of 215 children at a former residential school
Pope Francis issued a historic apology to Canadian Indigenous peoples on Friday for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in residential schools that sought to erase their cultures and where many children suffered abuse and were buried in unmarked graves.
Francis, in an address to native leaders after meetings with delegates from various Indigenous nations, also said he hoped to visit Canada in July.
One of the leaders, who want the pope to make the apology directly to their communities on their native lands in Canada, called his words “historic” and another said they reflected the “entirety” of their message to him.
“For the deplorable behaviour of those members of the Catholic Church, I ask forgiveness from God and I would like to tell you from the bottom of my heart that I am very pained,” he said, speaking in Italian.
“I join my brother Canadian bishops in apologising,” he said. His speech in the Vatican’s frescoed Sala Clementina was preceded by prayers by Indigenous leaders in native languages asking the “great spirit” to bless all those present.