Canada Asked The Pope For An Official Apology Over The Catholic Church's Role In Residential Schools

[Voltaire2]

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission demanded a papal apology.


Pope Francis has told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that he's open to issuing an official Papal apology for the Catholic church's role in Canada's residential schools system.

Trudeau met with the Pope during a visit to the Vatican on Monday.

“I told him about how important it is for Canadians that we move forward on real reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and highlighted how he could help by issuing an apology,” Mr. Trudeau later told reporters, according to the Globe and Mail.

Starting in the late 19th century, about 150,000 Indigenous children in Canada were forced into church-run schools where physical, sexual, and emotional abuse was rife. An estimated 6,000 children died while at these state-sanctioned institutions.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishmaeldaro/pope-francis-official-apology-residential-schools?utm_term=.alXGKaN38#.biNbQeVng

[LuvNewcastle]

1. I had no idea that this happened.

I would say that the Natives deserve an apology, if anyone does, but I kind of think that official apologies are a way for governments, churches, businesses, or other establishments to bring closure to an issue so they can point to the apology to shut people up when a past wrong is mentioned. It really doesn't do any good, and I doubt if it will even make anyone feel better, but they can carry on with making themselves seem enlightened and relevant.

[Voltaire2]

2. It was a horror of biblical proportions.

Of course the Catholic Church was doing pretty much the same thing to the Irish poor over in Ireland around the same time.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. They did it here in the US too, but a smaller proportion overall.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Catholic_Indian_Missions

[Lordquinton]

5. Apologies should be the final step

Fist step should be restitutions​.

This sort of thing always brings to mind one of my favorite TV scenes.

[guillaumeb]

4. This happened to members of my own family.

An attempt to deprive First Peoples of their language and culture.

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