MASKWACIS, Alberta (AP) — Pope Francis’ apology Monday for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential school system and the abuses that took place there was a stark denunciation of a policy of forced assimilation for decades that aimed to strip indigenous children of their culture and traumatized generations.
Speaking at the site of a former residential school south of Edmonton, Alberta, the pontiff said he “deeply regretted” the actions of many in support of “the colonizing mentality of the powers that oppressed indigenous peoples.”
He also expressed his pain at the systemic marginalization, denigration and suppression of indigenous schools, languages and culture; the “physical, verbal, psychological and spiritual abuse” children suffered after being removed from their homes at a young age; and the “indelibly” altered family relationships that resulted.
“I myself want to reaffirm it, with shame and without ambiguity. I humbly ask for forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against indigenous peoples,” Francis said.
These are some of the reactions to the Pope’s statements:
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“It was an achievement for the indigenous community to convince Pope Francis to come to a First Nations community and humble himself before the survivors the way he did today. It was special. And I know it meant a lot for a lot of people. And every time he said the word sorry, people would start clapping,” said Phil Fontaine, a residential school abuse survivor and former chief of the Assembly of First Nations, in an interview with The Associated Press.
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“We may all need time to fully absorb the gravity of this moment. … If you want to help us heal, stop telling us to get over it. … We can’t get over it when intergenerational trauma affects every youth and every member, every family that had a residential school survivor.Instead of getting over it, I’m asking you to do it, learn our history, learn our culture, our people, who we are,” Chief Desmond Bull of the Louis Bull Tribe said during a news conference. .
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“It was a validation that this actually happened” for the apology to be heard by non-Indigenous people, said Chief Tony Alexis of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, but the pope must continue the action and “can’t just say sorry and leave.”
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“I’ve waited 50 years for this apology, and I finally heard it today,” Evelyn Korkmaz, a survivor of the school, said during a news conference. Unfortunately, many family and community members did not live to see it due to suicide or substance abuse, he said. But he “hoped to hear some kind of work plan” on how the church would hand over documents and take other concrete steps.
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“I have many survivors and thrivers in my community who are happy to hear that the Pope has come to ask for forgiveness. Words cannot describe how important it is today to the healing journey of many First Nations people,” he said Chief Vernon Saddleback of the Samson Cree Nation at a news conference. “The Pope apologizing today was a day for everyone in the world to sit up and listen.”
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“It’s something that’s needed, not just for people to listen, but for the church to be accountable,” said Sandi Harper of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who attended the papal event honoring her late mother. a former residential school student. Still, he told the AP that some indigenous people are not ready for reconciliation: “We just have to give people time to heal. It’s going to take a long time.”
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