Pope Francis, who is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, apologised for the “evil committed by so many Christians against the Indigenous peoples” of Canada.
Lamenting the Church’s cooperation in what he described as “cultural destruction,” he kicked off a week-long trip to Canada.
Francis, who is the first pope to be a member of the Society of Jesus, will visit a former residential school and meet with indigenous people in Canada.
Over 150,000 indigenous children were separated from their families between 1881 and 1996 and were brought to residential schools.
Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission called the sexually abused, starved, and beaten children part of a ”cultural genocide.
Dear brothers and sisters of #Canada, I come among you to meet the indigenous peoples. I hope, with God’s grace, that my penitential pilgrimage might contribute to the journey of reconciliation already undertaken. Please accompany me with #prayer.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) July 24, 2022
Slamming the “archaic” nature of the church, the national chief for the Assembly of First Nations, RoseAnne Archibald said there are no women in leadership positions.
Before heading to St. Joseph Seminary, the 85-year-old pontiff sat between the two Canadian officials for a short performance of four drummers and native singing before several indigenous leaders.
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Due to a knee problem that has recently forced him to use a wheelchair and a cane, the pope cancelled a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in early July.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced severe criticism last year after the unmarked grave of hundreds of Indigenous children were discovered near former residential school sites.
(With inputs from agencies)
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