Abuse in Canada: after the discovery of more than a thousand graves, the Catholic Church apologized

The Catholic Bishops of Canada officially apologized to the indigenous peoples of this country after more than 1,000 graves near former boarding schools run by the church, according to a statement released Friday.

“We the Catholic Bishops of Canada, we express our deep regret and apologize unequivocally, ”they said. They also recognized “the suffering experienced in boarding schools” and the “serious abuse committed by some members “of the Catholic community, according to the AFP news agency.

“Many religious communities and Catholic dioceses served in this system which led to the suppression of indigenous languages, culture and spirituality, without respecting the rich history, traditions and wisdom of indigenous peoples, ”they said.

The statement also recognizes the “historical and current traumaas well as the legacy of suffering and challenges that continue to this day for indigenous peoples. “

Over 1,000 anonymous graves have been found near former Catholic residential schools for Indigenous children, for which many Indigenous groups have repeatedly asked the Pope for apologies.

The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin trudeau, which has made reconciliation with indigenous peoples one of its priorities, regretted the refusal of the Pope and the Catholic Church to recognize their “responsibility” and his “share of the blame” in the management of internees.

The statement with the apologies was released after the annual plenary meeting of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The text also indicated that the dad Francisco will receive a delegation of indigenous people in December.

Apologies come less than a week before the first National Truth and Reconciliation Day for missing children and survivors of internees, scheduled for September 30.

Some 150,000 indigenous children were forcibly recruited from 139 boarding schools run by the Catholic Church across the country, separating them from their families, language and culture.