The Canadian government says there is still a lot of work to be done for historic reconciliation.
Critics of the Canadian government came on Wednesday (7/27), when the pope arrived in Quebec for an official meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simon.
The government’s criticisms echo criticism from some survivors and concerns about the pope’s neglect of any reference to sexual abuse of indigenous children in schools, as well as his initial reluctance to hold the Catholic Church accountable.
Earlier this week, the Pope apologized to Indigenous peoples. A similar apology was also issued on Wednesday (7/27).
The pope said the school system is based on government policies.
More than 150,000 Indigenous children in Canada were separated from their parents from the 19th century to the 1970s and lived in residential schools.
Many children were starved, beaten and sexually abused. They are also kept apart from the mother tongue and culture of their tribe.
The Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission called this tragedy a cultural genocide.
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