Canadian Catholic bishops offer apology for church's role in residential schools
CBC
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has issued a public apology to Indigenous people in Canada for the suffering endured at residential schools and says it will continue providing records to identify Indigenous children buried in unmarked graves.
Addressing the "Indigenous peoples of this land," the bishops issued a statement today saying that they "acknowledge the suffering experienced in Canada's Indian Residential Schools."
"Many Catholic religious communities and dioceses participated in this system, which led to the suppression of Indigenous languages, culture and spirituality, failing to respect the rich history, traditions and wisdom of Indigenous peoples," the statement said.
"We acknowledge the grave abuses that were committed by some members of our Catholic community; physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, cultural and sexual."
The statement also "sorrowfully acknowledges" the lingering trauma suffered by former residential school students and their families.
"The Catholic Bishops of Canada express our profound remorse and apologize unequivocally," says the statement.
As a part of the conference's pledge to address its role in the cultural genocide of Indigenous people in Canada, it says that it will raise funds across the country to support regional Indigenous groups with projects defined at the local level.