Francis, responding to longtime pleas from Indigenous people, begged forgiveness for schools where children were forced to assimilate, many were sexually or physically abused and some died.
Pope Francis also promised to visit Canada as part of a process of healing and reconciliation over the church’s involvement in an abusive system of residential schools.
Francis met for the first time with groups of survivors of Canada’s abusive Indigenous schools who are seeking his apology over the church’s role in running the schools.