On July 24th, Pope Francis formally apologized to the Indigenous People of Canada for
the abuse that Christian schools inflicted on the people. He plans to visit different
indigenous places in Canada.
Pope Francis is finally visiting and apologizing to indigenous Canadians after countless
pleas from Canadian Indigenous leaders and politicians. The schools in Canada were
made to completely eradicate Indigenous culture by forcibly separating the children from
their parents. At these schools, native children were assimilated into more Western
ways.
“Many of us have had thoughts about the Catholic Church for a long time and this
particular moment may sweep aside these doubts that have been there,” said Phil
Fontaine, one of the first Indigenous leaders to speak out about the Christian schools,
“To make it all work, you have to be able to forgive.”
However, not everyone was keen to forgive the Church. 23-year-old Riley Yesno, a
student at the University of Toronto said, “I don’t care about the pope, I’m very critical
about the pope’s visit. And I say 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.”
Murray Sinclair, a former judge, estimated that there were over 10,000 children that
never returned to their families. Over 6,000 children were physically or sexually
assaulted by catholic brothers, nuns, priests, and lay workers.
One of the many burial sites for the students was found in the mountains of British
Columbia’s interior. Hundreds of students were buried in unmarked graves on the
terrain. Searches have now taken place across the country, and there have been over
1,000 of these similar graves found.
Pope Francis said, “Unfortunately, in Canada, many Christians, including some
members of religious institutes, have contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation
that, in the past, have severely harmed native communities.” He also called the visit to
Canada a “penitential pilgrimage.”
The Churches in Canada have so far only paid 1.2 million of the promised 25 million
Canadian dollars in restitution to the Indigenous people. They have started a fundraiser
for 30 million dollars.
the abuse that Christian schools inflicted on the people. He plans to visit different
indigenous places in Canada.
Pope Francis is finally visiting and apologizing to indigenous Canadians after countless
pleas from Canadian Indigenous leaders and politicians. The schools in Canada were
made to completely eradicate Indigenous culture by forcibly separating the children from
their parents. At these schools, native children were assimilated into more Western
ways.
“Many of us have had thoughts about the Catholic Church for a long time and this
particular moment may sweep aside these doubts that have been there,” said Phil
Fontaine, one of the first Indigenous leaders to speak out about the Christian schools,
“To make it all work, you have to be able to forgive.”
However, not everyone was keen to forgive the Church. 23-year-old Riley Yesno, a
student at the University of Toronto said, “I don’t care about the pope, I’m very critical
about the pope’s visit. And I say 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.”
Murray Sinclair, a former judge, estimated that there were over 10,000 children that
never returned to their families. Over 6,000 children were physically or sexually
assaulted by catholic brothers, nuns, priests, and lay workers.
One of the many burial sites for the students was found in the mountains of British
Columbia’s interior. Hundreds of students were buried in unmarked graves on the
terrain. Searches have now taken place across the country, and there have been over
1,000 of these similar graves found.
Pope Francis said, “Unfortunately, in Canada, many Christians, including some
members of religious institutes, have contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation
that, in the past, have severely harmed native communities.” He also called the visit to
Canada a “penitential pilgrimage.”
The Churches in Canada have so far only paid 1.2 million of the promised 25 million
Canadian dollars in restitution to the Indigenous people. They have started a fundraiser
for 30 million dollars.
