Canada: Must the Pope Repent for the Treatment of Indigenous People?

Beginning in 1880 and until the last establishment was closed in 1996, 150,000 Canadians from Indian families were enrolled in indigenous schools, most of which were run by the Catholic Church. The goal was to help these children adapt to Canadian society.

After many accusations of abuse, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission looked into 7,000 witness statements and concluded in 2015 that this was a “cultural genocide”. The 58th recommendation in its report requested an “apology” from the pope on behalf of the Church. The text reads:

The Chamber asks the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to invite Pope Francis to Canada to apologize on behalf of the Catholic Church to the indigenous peoples for the role of the Church in the system of the indigenous schools.

Response from Canadian Bishops

At the end of March 2018, Bishop Lionel Gendron, president of the CECC, responded that after carefully considering the request from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and “extensive dialogue with the bishops of Canada”, Pope Francis feels that he “cannot personally respond.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau added fuel to the fire on March 28, 2018, saying he was very “disappointed with the Catholic Church’s decision not to apologize for the residential schools.” This latest development led the Nouveau Parti Démocratique (NPD), the most radical left-wing federal party, to make a motion asking the bishops to invite the pope to Canada to apologize.

Bishop Gendron explained on April 18, 218, that the CECC sent a document to the Canadian deputies and senators explaining:

...[because of the] decentralized structure of the Church, it would not be appropriate for the pope to apologize. The Holy Father feels the bishops on the field are in a better position to continue working with indigenous peoples on reconciliation issues.

The motion is currently being examined by the members of Parliament. The conservatives have already decided not to give voting instructions.