Pope Francis expressed on Sunday his pain over the discovery in Canada of the remains of 215 indigenous students of church-run boarding schools. He prompted religious and political authorities to shed light on the devastating affair. However, he did not proffer the apology sought by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

These were his remarks to worshippers convening in St Peter's Square. He also did not take responsibility for the fatalities on behalf of the Catholic Church.

Canada PM's Criticism

Trudeau had earlier criticized the church for its silence on the issue that over 150,000 indigenous children were coerced to attend Christian schools. Many of them were run by the Catholic Church. 

These residential schools ran from 1831 to 1996. The discovery, which was closed in 1978, has reopened old wounds and is igniting outrage in Canada regarding the lack of accountability and information.

The Canadian government has disclosed that physical and sexual abuse was rampant in such schools. Students were beaten for speaking their native languages. In May, ground-penetrating radar was used to detect the remains of the children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia.

The school was the country's largest such facility. The United, Anglican, and Presbyterian churches have made apologies for their roles in the abuse. The Canadian government has offered compensation.

Trudeau called on the church to formally release an apology. According to Trudeau, the Catholic Church should take responsibility for its role in running several of the schools, reported France 24.

The coercion of attending such schools was a campaign to assimilate them into Canadian society, reported 7 News.  

Physical and Sexual Abuse

Pope Francis has expressed his sympathies over the news. He said that he is monitoring the news from Canada and is upset over the discovery of the remains of 215 children. He added this devastating discovery adds to the awareness of the sufferings and misery of the past, reported Euro News. Pope Francis called for recognition of the cultures and rights of native people.  The pope in his remarks also called on the authorities to foster healing.  

Read Also: 215 Remains of Children Found in Canada Residential School, PM Trudeau Calls It Heartbreaking

In his weekly blessing, Francis prompted Canadian political and Catholic religious leaders to coordinate "with determination" to shed light on the finding and to hope for healing and reconciliation.

Pope Francis stated these difficult moments represent a strong reminder for everyone to distance themselves from the model of colonizer and to walk hand-in-hand in dialogue and in mutual respect in the recognition of the cultural values and rights of all the young people of Canada.

Trudeau noted that when he discussed with the pope at the Vatican in 2017, he had requested him to "move forward on apologizing" and on making records available. However, the prime minister remarked they are still seeing resistance from the church, possibly from the Canadian church.

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