Pope Francis begged for forgiveness for the evil perpetrated by “not a few” Catholics as he wrapped up Friday a six-day visit that saw celebration and criticism for his repeated apologizes for the Roman Catholic Church's role in cultural assimilation and residential schools.
The word means “sorry” in Inuktitut,one of several Indigenous languages barred from use in residential schools, which 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend in Canada. Neglect and physical and sexual abuse were rampant in the schools, and the Catholic Church ran 60 per cent of them.
Francis has described the historic journey as “penitential.” Many applauded both his presence and apologies, but others found his words and efforts lacking. Traditional dancers, drummers and throat singers performed in front of Francis. They explained how the practices were banned in residential schools.
Piita Irniq also performed a traditional drum dance and presented the instrument to Francis as a gift at the end. The Inuit elder has tried for decades to have Johannes Rivoire, an Oblate priest accused of sexual abuse against Inuit children, returned to Canada to face charges. An Inuit delegation to Rome earlier this year also requested the Pope personally intervene in the case.
“It's really up to them to take the measure of all this, whether it's going to provide that kind of way for their healing,” Picard said. “It's going to take time.” The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, who helped organize the tour, called it a significant milestone on the path of healing and reconciliation.
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