CANADA
Indian County Today Media Network
Indigenous leaders in Canada welcomed the apology of Pope Francis for the Catholic Church’s complicity in the “grave sins” of colonization, though they hoped it was just a prelude to further statements aimed directly at the deeds committed during the country’s residential schools era.
In his speech on July 9 during a three-country trip to South America, the Pontiff “humbly” asked for forgiveness for the “crimes against Native peoples during the so-called conquest of America.”
“This can be taken perhaps as an indication that maybe he will be open to complying with, accepting our recommendation, that he come to Canada and apologize specifically to survivors of residential schools and their families,” Justice Murray Sinclair, head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), told Yahoo Canada News. “Overall, I see it as a good sign.”
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