The Canadian bishops had until then contented themselves with expressing their sadness and compassion. Several of them are now raising their voices and advocating a public apology from Pope Francis for the historic role of the Church in the management of residential schools. “The Pope is deeply sincere and compassionate, estimated the bishop of Kamloops Mgr Joseph Nguyen to the online media Crux. But there are many of our people who seek to understand why an apology from the Pope is still long overdue. “
It was in his diocese that the remains of 215 children were found, Thursday, May 27, in a boarding school for First Nations children. These establishments, two-thirds of which were run by the Catholic Church on behalf of the Canadian government, were intended to forcibly assimilate the children of indigenous people, cutting them off from their families and their mother tongue. Numerous sexual and physical abuses were committed there and a report estimates that 6,000 children died there, mainly from illness, between 1890 and the 1990s.
→ CONTEXT. Residential schools in Canada: Pope Francis says his “pain” but does not apologize
On June 6 during the Angelus, Pope Francis expressed his “Pain about the shocking discovery”, without however apologizing for the role of the Church, despite appeals from the Canadian government and indigenous communities.
“Why didn’t we apologize? “
Other Catholic officials have spoken out in favor of a papal apology. “We pass for insensitive, lamented to Crux Most Rev. Thomas Dowd, Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Ontario). Canadians apologize before they’ve even done anything wrong. This lack of excuses is not compatible with our culture. Why didn’t we apologize? “.
In Canada, the Catholic Church apologizes to the First Nations
Bishop Dowd also compared the Catholic Church to the Anglican and Protestant churches involved in the management of residential schools, stressing that the latter immediately apologized when these atrocities were made public. After the recent revelations concerning the establishment of Kamloops, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) apologized, as did several religious communities.
In an attempt to ease tensions, Canadian Catholic officials are preparing a trip to the Vatican in November. About 25 representatives of the First Nations are expected to accompany them. “I am fully prepared to work with Pope Francis to obtain an apology”, said last week the Archbishop of Halifax, Bishop Brian Dunn, referring to the trip. “It might not be an apology in the sense people expect it to be, but we hope the Pope goes in that direction”.
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