Canadian bishops have formally apologized for abuses at Indigenous children’s boarding schools that came to light earlier this year. More than a thousand anonymous graves have been found since May at former boarding schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, which were mainly run by the Catholic Church and funded by the government.
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“We, the Catholic bishops of Canada, express our deep regret and unequivocally apologize,” Church leaders said in a statement, also saying they are “completely committed” to reconciliation. The bishops write that they acknowledge “suffering” and “serious abuse” inflicted on the victims.
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Over the past 165 years, up to 1996, approximately 150,000 indigenous children in 139 schools have been forcibly separated from their families. There they had to adapt to the culture of the white inhabitants of Canada, while being isolated from their own family, language and culture. They were victims of malnutrition and physical and sexual abuse. A national commission of inquiry, which speaks of “cultural genocide”, previously reported that more than 4000 people were killed in the schools.
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“Many Catholic religious communities and dioceses participated in this system, which led to the suppression of indigenous languages, culture and spirituality, disregarding the rich history, traditions and wisdom of indigenous peoples,” the bishops said. “We also recognize with sadness the historical and ongoing trauma and legacy of the suffering and challenges facing indigenous peoples to this day.”
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Pope Francis
The Catholic Church has previously received fierce criticism in Canada, because in the eyes of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, among others, the Vatican refuses to take responsibility for the abuses at the boarding schools. Pope Francis previously expressed his “disgust” at the macabre discoveries, but indigenous leaders also want to hear a mea culpa come out of his mouth. A meeting between them and the Pope is scheduled for December in the Vatican.
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The Canadian bishops also pledged in their letter to provide documentation and records that may help identify the victims found in the anonymous graves at the boarding schools. In the meantime, the search continues for more possible graves, including by means of soil radar technology.
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September 30 is the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada to honor the missing children and the survivors of the boarding schools.
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