Text/Dongfeng
Pope Francis, who is embarking on a six-day trip to Canada, apologized to The Indigenous people on Monday (25 July) for the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the abuse of Indigenous children in Canada, calling it "sad, indignant and ashamed" and saying that forced assimilation was an evil and catastrophic mistake. Previously, several Indigenous boarding schools in Canada had discovered mass graves, confirming the criminal acts committed by the Catholic Church.
Speaking to The Aboriginal people of Canada, Pope Francis said, "I humbly ask for forgiveness for the sins committed against indigenous peoples by so many Christians. The pope added that asking for forgiveness was the first step and that the events of that year must be seriously investigated, adding that the overall impact of policies related to boarding schools was "disastrous." The pope's visit will last a week, during which he will travel to Edmonton in Quebec City and Iquit in Nunavut.
About a year ago, mass graves were discovered at several boarding schools in Canada. The graves were reportedly previously run by the Catholic Church and indigenous children were forced to go to school. By 1970, more than 150,000 Aboriginal children had been ordered into these Catholic Church-run and Canadian-funded boarding schools to isolate them from Aboriginal culture. These schools are designed to "Christianize" indigenous children, take them away from the community and prohibit them from speaking their mother tongue.
Nearly three-quarters of the 130 boarding schools are run by the Roman Catholic Missionary Church, while others are run by presbyterians, Anglican and the United Church of Canada, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
The Government of Canada previously acknowledged that many Aboriginal children attending these boarding schools had been sexually assaulted, and hundreds of unmarked graves were found at many school sites. When these unmarked mass graves were discovered last year, the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission called the incidents "cultural genocide," prompting Pope Francis to issue an apology.
In April, Pope Francis issued a similar apology, saying, "I ask God for forgiveness for the shameful acts of those members of the Catholic Church, and I want to say to you wholeheartedly: I am very sorry." I join my brothers, the Bishops of Canada, in asking for your forgiveness. ”
Now he came to Canadian territory to apologize. Prior to that, indigenous groups had been demanding an apology from the pope for years. Writing in the April issue of the Conversation, Annie Selak, deputy director of georgetown University's Women's Center, wrote, "The Pope's apology is based on the understanding that the Pope is the only, holy leader of the Catholic and Apostolic Church that has always been linked through tradition." Thus, the pope may apologize for past events when he was not yet pope, or may not have been born yet, because the church of a thousand years ago is associated with today. ”
Phil Fontaine, canada's former head of the Assembly of First Nations, told the New York Times that "many of us have long-standing ideas about the Catholic Church, and this special moment may dispel these lingering doubts." Phil Fontaine also added, "To make everything go well, you have to learn to forgive." This means that you have to reconcile with the church. ”
However, other members of indigenous communities do not necessarily share this view.