Pope must apologize ‘in the right way’

WINNIPEG • Residential school survivors say they hope the Pope's visit to Canada next month will include a direct apology for the Roman Catholic Church's role in running the schools.

Members of the National Indian Residential School Circle of Survivors hosted three days of meetings to discuss what they expect from the visit and reconciliation with the church.

On Wednesday, survivors met with three Roman Catholic bishops to share their wishes.

“I expect the Pope to apologize on behalf of the Catholic Church in the right way,” said Ken Young, a former Assembly of First Nations regional chief for Manitoba.

“There has to be some recognition that the (Catholic) Church is responsible for what happened. The Pope can represent that responsibility in a statement that says that.”

Pope Francis is to stop in Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut. Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit are to act as bases for the trip from July 24 to July 29.

He committed to visiting Canada in April after meetings with First Nations, Inuit and Métis groups at the Vatican, where he apologized for the abusive conduct of church members involved in residential schools.

Indigenous delegates had told the Pope that they expected an apology to be delivered on Canadian soil.

Young said Wednesday the group of survivors drafted wording for an apology and gave it to the bishops.

He added language is important and the apology must include ownership

THERE HAS TO BE SOME RECOGNITION THAT THE CHURCH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED.

and responsibility for the church's role in the harmful experiences Indigenous children and their families faced, instead of placing blame on individuals within the church.

“We expect the Pope to do no less and say no less,” Young said.

The federal government forced an estimated 150,000 Indigenous children to attend residential schools; more than 60 per cent of the schools were run by the Catholic Church.

Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton, who spoke with survivors Wednesday, said the Pope and the Vatican are open to hearing from survivors.

“He'll do the right thing. He' ll say the right thing, whatever that ends up being, because he really wants this to be a step forward in the whole healing process,” Smith said. “How he says it is the prevailing, outstanding issue.” Work is still ongoing to find the wording that will “land well for everybody,” he said.

The group of residential school survivors also spoke about their disappointment at being excluded from the trip planning. They want the papal visit expanded to more locations.