Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently requested that the pope issue an apology on behalf of the Catholic Church for its abuses of indigenous people, particularly those that occurred at residential schools.
In a Monday meeting, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Pope Francis to visit his country in the relatively near future.
Trudeau also requested that the pope issue an apology on behalf of the Catholic Church for its abuses of indigenous people, particularly those that occurred at residential schools, reports The Globe and Mail.
The schools, which housed around 150,000 native youth forcibly taken from their homes, were established in the late 1800s and operated for about a century, notes Newsweek. There, the children were reportedly prohibited from studying their own culture and speaking their language in an attempt to distance them from their traditional ways.
Many allegedly suffered abuse, both physical and sexual, notes The Guardian.
Though the schools were funded through the government, most were run by Christian churches and largely the Roman Catholic one.
Trudeau said that in his talks with Pope Francis, “I told him how important it is for Canadians to move forward on real reconciliation with the indigenous peoples and I highlighted how he could help by issuing an apology.”
He also noted the pope, “reminded me his entire life has been dedicated to supporting marginalized people in the world and fighting for them and he looked forward to working with me and the Canadian bishops to figure out a path forward together.”
