This week, Pope Francis plans to travel to Canada, in order to apologize to Indigenous
communities for the Catholic Church’s role in the residential education system, in which
countless children died and many more were abused.
The apologetic visit was only offered after thousands of survivors pleaded for an apology about the schools. In these residential schools’, educators aim to enforce children to give up on their indigenous culture and transition to western styles of life. National commissions have called this system a “cultural genocide.”
Some Indigenous people think that the pope’s visit should be appreciated, and that it is important to offer forgiveness in order to heal.
“To make it all work, you need to be able to forgive,” said Phil Fontaine, the former national
chief of the Assembly of First nations.
However, other indigenous people think that the apology is worthless.
Riley Yesno, a 23-year-old student, claimed that “as somebody whose grandparents went to
Catholic-run residential schools. I don’t see how any of these words that he’s going to say will
actually fix the damage that the residential schools caused. I don’t know that it’ll bring healing
for my grandparents.”
“The time had already passed. We’re more concerned with material transactions and material
reparations, not apologies,” he finished.
communities for the Catholic Church’s role in the residential education system, in which
countless children died and many more were abused.
The apologetic visit was only offered after thousands of survivors pleaded for an apology about the schools. In these residential schools’, educators aim to enforce children to give up on their indigenous culture and transition to western styles of life. National commissions have called this system a “cultural genocide.”
Some Indigenous people think that the pope’s visit should be appreciated, and that it is important to offer forgiveness in order to heal.
“To make it all work, you need to be able to forgive,” said Phil Fontaine, the former national
chief of the Assembly of First nations.
However, other indigenous people think that the apology is worthless.
Riley Yesno, a 23-year-old student, claimed that “as somebody whose grandparents went to
Catholic-run residential schools. I don’t see how any of these words that he’s going to say will
actually fix the damage that the residential schools caused. I don’t know that it’ll bring healing
for my grandparents.”
“The time had already passed. We’re more concerned with material transactions and material
reparations, not apologies,” he finished.