Pope Francis apologized for the 'deplorable evil' of residential schools and asked for forgiveness for the actions of many members of the Catholic Church against the Indigenous peoples in his first public remarks on his Canadian visit.
Posted: Jul 25, 2022 7:45 AM MT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoPope Francis begins his Canadian visit by meeting with Indigenous peoples, First Nations, Métis and Inuit at the former Ermineskin Residential School in Maskwacis, Alta."I have been waiting to come here and be with you," the Pope told thousands of Indigenous people who have converged in Maskwacis, Alta.
In his remarks, the Pope repeatedly said he is sorry for actions of the past, supported by many members of the Church, which created the "disastrous error" and "deplorable evil" of residential schools. After arriving at the small Alberta prairie community, the Pope visited the Ermineskin Cree Nation Cemetery for a moment of silence, prayer and reflection. Organizers say there are likely remains of residential school students among the graves.
Arriving under a steady drizzle, busloads of school survivors, Indigenous elders and their family members were helped to find seats under tents near the site of the former residential school, now largely torn down.One of the hosts of the event, Chief Randy Ermineskin of the Ermineskin Cree Nation, waited for the Pope in a nearby parking lot and took stock of the historic import of the day.
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