Pope Francis arrives in Canada to apologize to First Nations for historical abuse in Church-run boarding schools.

Pope Francis has arrived in Canada to extend an apology to the First Nations communities, following a formal statement published on Google on 24 July. The apology addresses the historical abuse of Indigenous children in Church-run boarding schools, a topic that has drawn significant attention and calls for accountability.

The Pope’s visit began in Edmonton, Alberta, where he met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mary May Simon, the first Indigenous Governor General of Canada. The Pope is scheduled to visit Maskwacis, an inner city area, the following day, to meet with survivors of abuse near the site of a former boarding school.

Pope Francis’s itinerary also includes visits to Québec and Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. These stops reflect a broader effort to engage with Indigenous communities across the country and address the legacy of historical injustices.

First Nations organizations have welcomed the Pope’s apology, viewing it as a significant step toward reconciliation. They emphasize that the apology is only the beginning and call for further action, including the provision of information on missing children, justice for victims, and the return of belongings held in the Vatican Museum.

The Canadian government has acknowledged that state-funded Christian schools in the 19th century were marked by widespread physical and sexual abuse. It has also recognized that approximately 150,000 Indigenous children were forcibly removed and placed in religious institutions as part of an assimilation policy.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established to address the legacy of these institutions, had requested the Pope’s apology as early as 2015. However, the Vatican only accepted the request following the discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of around 200 children at a former boarding school in the province of British Columbia. This discovery prompted renewed calls for accountability and justice.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Mandarin Chinese)