By: Emily Wan

On July 24, Pope Francis traveled to Canada to apologize to Indigeous communities for the church’s role in the residential school system where thousands of children died and others suffered physical and sexual abuse.

During the 1800s and 1900s, the Canadian government removed over 150,000 Indigenous children from their families and made them attend residential schools. There, students were subject to forced assimilation into Western culture. Their language as well as religious and cultural practices were banned. Thousands of children died of disease, malnutrition, accidents, fires, and abuse in the underfunded and overcrowded schools. A National Truth and Reconciliation commission declared the system as “cultural genocide.”

The visit comes in the wake of pleas from Indigenous leaders and politicians for Pope Francis to issue an apology for the schools, where 60 to 70% of the approximately 130 schools were run by the Catholic Church. Some community leaders are optimistic about how the Pope’s visit would affect reconciliation efforts in Canada. For example, Phil Fontaine, the former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said, “many of us have had thoughts about the Catholic Church for a long time and this particular moment may sweep aside these doubts that have been there.” However, other members of the Indigenous community, especially the younger people, are critical of how the visit would promote healing.

Fourteen years ago, the Canadian government formally apologized for the establishment of the schools and paid billions in reparations. Protestant churches involved did the same.

Previously, the Vatican resisted calls for an apology. In March, a delegation where three of the largest Indigenous groups visited the Pope, resulting in the Pope apologizing at the Vatican and agreeing to apologize in Canada.

Many younger Indigenous people believe the time for apology has passed and are more concerned about the government taking action by returning land to Indigenous communities and giving them political autonomy over it.

Riley Yesno, a doctoral student at the University of Toronto who is from Eabametoong First Nation in Ontario, echoes the sentiments of many people, saying, “we’re more concerned with material transactions and material reparations.”