Pope Francis came to Canada to meet with natives who were subjected to physical violence and sexual abuse in the boarding schools of the Catholic Church, as part of his visit, which he described as a pilgrimage of repentance. The Pope met with locals at the former site of the Ermineskin Residential School in Edmonton, Alberta, the first stop of his visit. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simon also attended the event.
he apologized
Pope Francis said in a statement, publicly apologizing for the role the Catholic Church plays in Canada’s boarding school system, saying, “I am here among you because the first step in the pilgrimage of repentance is to ask for forgiveness again, to once again tell you that I am very sorry. Unfortunately, many Christians’ “I am sorry for the way in which Turkey supports the colonial mentality of the powers that oppress the indigenous peoples,” he said.
Pope Francis acknowledged the pain felt in all indigenous communities in Canada, saying, “Know that I am aware of the suffering and traumas and difficulties experienced by indigenous peoples in every region of this country. My words throughout this journey of repentance are for every indigenous community and individual. I embrace you all with love.”
“A TERRIBLE MISTAKE”
Describing forced cultural assimilation as “a pathetic evil” and “a catastrophic mistake”, the Pope said: “I humbly ask forgiveness for the evil that so many Christians have committed against indigenous peoples.”
Recalling the child-sized loafers given to him at his meeting with First Nations Delegations in the Vatican last March, the Pope stated that the loafers in question are a reminder of the feeling of “sadness, anger and shame” and said, “The memory of those children is really painful. Every child should be treated with love, dignity and respect.”
PRESSURE INCREASED ON THE PAPA
The Pope’s apology came more than seven years after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued its calls for action. The Commission’s 58th call to action urged the Pope to issue an apology on Canadian soil for the Catholic Church’s role in the boarding school system. Pressure increased for the Pope to come to Canada to apologize after 215 unnamed graves were discovered at a former boarding school in Canada. After the incident, similar graves were found in many former boarding school districts across the country.
150 THOUSAND LOCAL CHILDREN ARE PLACED
It has been determined that an estimated 150,000 indigenous children were forcibly taken into the boarding school system in Canada, which started operating in the 1870s and the last one closed in 1996. While more than half of the 139 schools in the system are run by the Catholic Church, it is estimated that between 4,100 and 6,000 children die from abuse and neglect while in the boarding school system. (UAV)