Ottawa: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday he had asked the Pope to come to Canada to apologize for the role of the Catholic Church running a housing school for traditional children, after the remnants of nearly 1,000 people were found in former school graves that were not marked , “I have spoken directly directly with Pope His holiness Francis to suppress how important it is not only that he made an apology but he made an apology to the original Canadians in Canada,” Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.
“I know that the leadership of the Catholic Church is looking and very actively involved in the next step that can be taken.” Cowessess First Nation said on Thursday around 751 unsecured graves had been found at the location of the Marieval Housing School in Saskatchewan, only a few weeks after 215 square graves found in a former school in British Columbia.
The housing school system, which operates between 1831 and 1996, removed around 150,000 traditional children from their families and took them to Christian housing schools, mostly Catholics, ran on behalf of the federal government.
The federal commission report found the housing school system imposing cultural genocide in Canadian indigenous peoples.
“I have heard directly from many Catholics in this country who want to see the church play a positive role in this matter,” Trudeau added.
Earlier this month, Pope Francis stopped from direct apology but said he was hurt by the discovery of the remnants of 215 children and called for respect for the rights and culture of indigenous people.