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Pope Francis expressed, Sunday (6), his “pain” for the discovery in Canada of the remains of 215 indigenous children in the premises of a former boarding school of the Catholic Church, without however apologizing, despite multiple appeals. in this regard.
“I follow with sorrow the news which reaches us from Canada about the shocking discovery of the remains of 215 children” in British Columbia (west), declared the Pope at the end of the traditional Sunday prayer of the Angelus on St. Peter’s Square in The Vatican.
On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lamented the refusal of the Pope and the Catholic Church to recognize their “responsibility” and “part of the blame” in the management of boarding schools for indigenous children in Canada.
He urged Canadian Catholics to speak with their priests and bishops to “convey to them the message that it is time for the Catholic Church to recognize its responsibility, its share of guilt and, above all, to be present so that the truth is known ”.
This Sunday, the Pope avoided going so far and simply said: “I join the Canadian bishops and the entire Catholic Church in Canada in expressing my solidarity with the Canadian people marked by this terrible news.
“This sad discovery further heightens awareness of the pain and suffering of the past. May the political and religious authorities of Canada continue to work together with determination to shed light on this sad matter and humbly commit to embark on the path of reconciliation and relief, “he added.
“These difficult times represent a strong call for all of us to move away from the colonizing model and also from current ideological colonizations, and to walk side by side on the path of dialogue, mutual respect and the recognition of cultural rights and values. of all the children and girls of Canada ”, he declared, who invited the pilgrims present in St. Peter’s Square to pray in silence for the victims and their families.
Calls from indigenous groups for the Pope to apologize have escalated in recent days after schoolchildren’s remains were found last week at a former Kamloops boarding school run by the Catholic Church from 1890 to 1969.
Approximately 150,000 Amerindian, Métis and Inuit (Eskimo, a term that currently has a pejorative connotation in Canada) children were forcibly interned in 139 residential schools of this type across the country, where they were isolated from their family, their language and their language. of their culture.
In 2015, a national commission of inquiry declared these practices “cultural genocide”.
The Canadian Bishops’ Conference on Monday deemed the discovery of the remains “overwhelming” and expressed “deep sadness” but without offering a formal apology.
Canadian Minister Marc Miller on Tuesday called “shameful” the lack of apologies from the Pope and the Catholic Church.
Hours after the minister’s remarks, Archbishop of Vancouver Michael Miller offered his “sincere apologies and deep condolences to the families.”
“The Church was unquestionably wrong to implement a colonialist government policy that was devastating for children, families and communities,” he said.
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