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Canadian leaders have publicly acknowledged that large numbers of Indigenous children there have died in schools since 1907, but the issue was thrust into the spotlight last year by the discovery last year of what are suspected to be unmarked graves in or near areas of former schools in question.
In response to the pressure caused by these revelations, the Pope apologized for the role of the Catholic Church in schools earlier this year, during the visit of an indigenous delegation to the Vatican. Now, he’s looking to do just that on Canadian soil.
The holy father arrived there on Sunday to begin a five-day trip that will focus on apologizing on behalf of the Catholic Church for the abuse of indigenous children in predominantly church-run schools.
From the 1880s to 1996, more than 150,000 children, from hundreds of Indigenous communities across Canada, were forcibly taken from their parents and sent to boarding schools.
Many children starved to death, were beaten and sexually abused, something the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission has described as “cultural genocide”. “This is a journey of repentance, and under this spirit it will take place“, said the pope before leaving Rome. For Canadians, his presence can help heal these wounds of the past.
“I pray that things will go well and that this healing process will be achieved with the arrival of the Pope. The very fact that it is here speaks volumes. Maybe it will be a big thing for all our people,” said Edmonton resident Eden Fuentes
But for survivors and indigenous leaders, repentance is not enough. Many of them. Some have called for financial compensation, the return of indigenous objects, the release of school records, support for the extradition of accused abusers and the repeal of a 15th-century doctrine that justifies the dispossession of indigenous populations.
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