Trudeau urges Pope to apologise on Canadian soil for church's role in residential schools

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on June 25 said that he has urged Pope Francis to come to Canada to apologize for the Catholic Church's role in running residential schools for indigenous children. The chief of an Indigenous nation in Canada said earlier this week that they found another 751 unmarked graves at the site of a former Marieval residential school for Indigenous children. Last month, some 251 remains were reported at a similar school in British Columbia. 

Following the horrifying discoveries, Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa, “I have spoken personally directly with His Holiness, Pope Francis, to impress upon him how important it is not just that he makes an apology but that he makes an apology to indigenous Canadians on Canadian soil”. 

He added, “I know that the Catholic church leadership is looking and very actively engaged in what next steps can be taken”. 

Discovery of unmarked graves 

According to AP, from the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend state-funded Christian schools, most run by Roman Catholic missionary congregations, in a campaign to assimilate them into Canadian society. While the schools argued that they were imparting knowledge, a report in 2015 found that the children were subjected to abuse, malnutrition and rape and at least 4,000 of them died while being at these reform institutes. The Canadian parliament back in 2008 had apologised and admitted that physical and sexual abuse in the schools was rampant. 

On Thursday, following the discoveries of 751 unmarked graves, Trudeau even said that he was saddened to know about the remains of the children in the now-defunct school. He recognised that these findings would only deepen the pain that families, survivors and all Indigenous peoples and communities are already facing. Trudeau called the discoveries in British Columbia and Saskatchewan provinces "a shameful reminder of the systemic racism, discrimination, and injustice that indigenous peoples have faced and continue to face in the country".

Pope Francis, on the other hand, had also expressed pain and pressed religious and political authorities to shed light on “this sad affair” after the discovery of British Colombia remains. According to Pope Francis, the incident was a strong call to abandon the "colonial model" and work toward the recognition of rights of the ingenious communities in Canada. He had requested Canadian authorities “to continue to work together with determination to shed light on this sad event and to commit themselves humbly to a path of reconciliation and healing”. However, he stopped short of a formal apology. 

IMAGE: AP