Pope says he hopes Canada visit will help heal 'evil' done to Indigenous people

Pope Francis said on Sunday his trip to Canada next week will be a "pilgrimage of penance" that he hopes can help heal the wrongs done to Indigenous people by Roman Catholic priests and nuns who ran abusive residential schools.

Pope Francis will tour three regions Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluitfrom July 24 to 29.During the trip, he's expected toexpand on an apology he delivered at the Vatican this pastspringfor residential school abuse in institutions run by his church.

"Unfortunately in Canada many Christians, including some members of religious orders, contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation that in the past gravely damaged native populations in various ways," Francis said at his weekly address to people in St. Peter's Square.

About 150,000 children were taken from their homes. Many were subjected to physical and sexual abusein what Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015 called "cultural genocide."

The stated aim of the schools, which operated between 1831 and 1996, was to assimilate Indigenous children. They were run by Christian denominations on behalf of the government, most by the Catholic Church.

The schools were at the centre of discussions between the Pope and Indigenous people at the Vatican in March and April. Recalling the meetings, Francis said on Sunday he had expressed "my pain and solidarity over the evil that they endured."

"I am about to make a pilgrimage of penance, which, I hope that with the grace of God can contribute to the path of healing and reconciliation that already has been started," he said.

He appealedfor the faithful to "accompany me with prayers" during the trip.

Seeking more than an apology

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission which from 2008 to 2015 examined the record of Canada's residential school system called for a papal apologyas part of its 94 calls to action.

Fresh demands for accountability came afterwhat arebelieved to bemore than 200 unmarked graveswere discovered in British Columbia last year by the Tk'emlps te Secwpemc,near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, which was run by the Roman Catholic Church.

Hundreds more potential unmarked burial sites have been found since in other locations around Canada.

Somesurvivors and advocates want more than an apology from the Pope. There have been calls forthe Catholic Church to release all residential school documents and recordsto the Winnipeg-basedNational Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

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Pope Francis is expected to join survivors at the Ermineskin Indian Residential School in the community of Maskwacis south of Edmonton on July 25.

Some also wantIndian day school survivors to have their experiences acknowledged.

While separate from the residential school system, Indian or federal day schools werepart offederal policy aimed at assimilating Indigenouschildren and often had religious affiliations. The Roman Catholic Church operated the majority of the nearly 700 schools.

Visit comes amid health issues

The Vatican on June 23 confirmed the Canadian visit will go ahead even though Francis is dealing with some health issues.

The 85-year-old Pope had to cancel a trip to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in early July because of a knee problem that forced him to use first a wheelchair and later a cane.

In an interview with Reuters on July 2, he gave details of his ailment for the first time public, saying he had suffered "a small fracture" in the knee when he took a misstep while a ligament was inflamed.

The Pope has issued other apologies in recent years.

Hetravelled to Bolivia in 2015, where he asked for forgiveness for the church's crimes against Indigenous people during Latin America's colonial era. Ona trip to Ireland in 2018, he offered asweeping apology for the crimes of the Catholic Church there, saying church officials frequentlyfailed to respond with compassion to the many abuses children and women suffered over the years.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for residential school survivors and others affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

Support is also available for anyone affected by their experience at Indian or federal day schools. Individuals can access immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention services at the Hope for Wellness helpline by calling 1-855-242-3310 or online at www.hopeforwellness.ca.