Pope Francis Expresses Sorrow But No Apology For Indigenous School Deaths In Canada

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/06/ [login to see] /pope-francis-expresses-sorrow-but-no-apology-for-indigenous-school-deaths-in-can
Pope Francis expressed sorrow Sunday for the gruesome discovery of a mass grave in Canada containing the remains of hundreds of Indigenous children. The remains were found at a boarding school for Indigenous Canadians, operated by Catholic clergy.

"I join the Canadian Bishops and the whole Catholic Church in Canada in expressing my closeness to the Canadian people, who have been traumatized by this shocking news," Francis told an audience in St. Peter's Square, according to a translation of prepared remarks. "This sad discovery further heightens awareness of the pain and sufferings of the past."

The comments come about a week after the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation in British Columbia announced that the remains of 215 children had been found on the grounds of the former boarding school. Indigenous Canadians had known for years that some children never returned from the schools, but this is the first time a major burial site has been discovered.

Francis urged political and religious authorities in Canada to continue to work together "to shed light on this sad event and humbly commit themselves to a path of healing and reconciliation." It's important, he said, to "turn away from the colonial model and also from the ideological colonizations of the present, and walk side by side in dialogue, mutual respect and recognition of the rights and cultural values of all the daughters and sons of Canada."