Pope Francis apologized to the indigenous population of Canada for the actions of representatives of the Catholic Church in schools where children of indigenous peoples were abused. The pontiff called the forced cultural assimilation “regrettable evil” and “catastrophic error.” The Pope makes a weekly tour of Canada to fulfill the promise given by delegations of the indigenous peoples who visited him earlier this year in the Vatican, where the pontiff brought initial apology. The agency Reuters quotes the exposure from the performance of the Pope.
“With shame and unambiguousness, I humbly apologize for the evil committed by so many Christians against the indigenous peoples,” said Pontiff in Muscovacis, Albert. “I’m here because the first step of my repentant pilgrimage to you is to ask for forgiveness again, to tell you once again that I am deeply sorry,” said Pope. “Sorry for how, unfortunately, many Christians supported the colonialist mentality of powers that oppressed the indigenous peoples. I am very sorry,” he said during a meeting with indigenous peoples, mestizos and inuits. “In the face of this regrettable evil, the Church knelt before God and prays him for forgiveness for the sins of its children,” said Pontiff.
In the period from 1881 to 1996, more than 150 thousand children from among the indigenous peoples were separated from their families and sent to boarding schools. Many children were hungry, beaten and sexual abuse within the framework of the system, which the Canadian commission to establish truth and reconciliation called “cultural genocide”.