Comment IQALUIT, Nunavut — In the final stop on a penitential pilgrimage that drew mixed reviews from the indigenous people he came to see, Pope Francis apologized again Friday to survivors of Canada’s residential schools and said it was his hope to “shed light to what happened and move beyond this dark past.” The city of Iqaluit, built on permafrost, marked a fitting end to a somber, one-of-a-kind papal trip aimed primarily at atonement for the cruelty of government-funded schools, most of which were run by Catholic entities. “I want to tell you how sorry I am,” the Pope said. He particularly noted how the system, which aimed to forcefully assimilate indigenous children into Christian culture, pulled children away from their parents and grandparents – a practice he called “evil”. “Families are torn apart,” Francis, wearing a white jacket, told several thousand people outside Nakasuk School in Iqaluit. He delivered his remarks in his native Spanish, translated into English and Inuktitut, in this remote region 200 miles from the Arctic Circle, where residential schools have changed life for the majority Inuit population. It was the latest of his many apologies this week. Pope apologizes for ‘evil committed by so many Christians’ at Canada’s residential schools Many natives said they were moved by the long-awaited visit — especially considering the 85-year-old weakness and immobility. They said his willingness to say “sorry” to indigenous land was a critical first step toward healing. But as the week progressed, he faced criticism from indigenous leaders who said they still expected him to apologize for the Catholic Church as an institution. “[The apology] it failed,” RoseAnn Archibald, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said in a televised interview this week after the Pope’s appearance in Maskwacîs, Alberta. He was one of the indigenous leaders who greeted Francis when he arrived in the country on Sunday. Francis apologized personally for the “evil committed by so many Christians,” but not for the church as a whole. Nor did he talk about aspects of the foundation that could allow him to push a Canadian government policy that the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission said amounted to cultural genocide. For most of the 19th and 20th centuries, Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families to be placed in residential schools often hundreds of miles from their communities. They were forbidden to speak their native language or practice their cultural traditions, and in many cases, were physically and sexually abused. What you need to know about Canada’s residential schools and the unmarked graves found nearby Murray Sinclair, the lawyer who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said Francis’ words so far had a “deep hole”. “This was more than the work of a few bad actors – this was a concerted institutional effort to remove children from their families and their culture, all in the name of Christian supremacy,” Sinclair said. One of the main Native demands is for the church to revoke papal decrees from the 1400s that provided religious support for European conquest of Native territory in the New World and elsewhere. Although Francis, the first pope from South America, has repeatedly denounced historical colonization and forced assimilation, he has not directly discussed the Doctrine of Discovery, the policy that emerged from these decrees. Before Thursday’s Mass at the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré outside Quebec City, two members of the Batchewana First Nation in native clothing unfurled a banner that read “Abolish the Doctrine.” Pope Francis visits a Quebec that is rapidly losing its Catholicism Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who appeared with Francis at several of his appearances this week, said in a statement that he had discussed with him the need to address the Doctrine of Discovery, but did not elaborate. Several days before the trip, a Vatican spokesman said a “reflection” within the Holy See was underway. In Iqaluit — a location that “others would consider inhospitable,” Francis said — the parting words were as much life advice as repentance. Addressing the Inuit youth, he talked about self-confidence, the importance of big dreams and even ice hockey. (“How does Canada manage to win all these Olympic medals?” he asked. “Team spirit always makes the difference.”) In Quebec City earlier Friday, Francis set a reflective tone at a morning meeting with about 20 indigenous representatives. He said he had come as a “pilgrim, despite my physical limitations,” and that the stories he heard would always be a part of me. “I dare to say, if you allow me, that now, in a way, I also feel part of your family, and for that I am honored,” the Pope said. “Now I go home very enriched.” Home schools banned native languages. The Cree want theirs back. Francis was on the ground in Iqaluit on Friday for less than three hours. Canada’s northernmost city is the capital of Nunavut, a region straddling the Arctic Circle that is three times the size of Texas but has a population of just 40,000 in 25 settlements and the capital. The widely dispersed communities are connected to each other and the rest of Canada only by plane. Until the 1950s, the area was of no interest to anyone but whalers and missionaries. Change and modernization are now unfolding at breathtaking speed. Nunavut faces both social and environmental challenges. The poverty rate is high and housing is limited. The suicide rate is several times higher than the rest of Canada and the climate is warming much faster than the global average, melting permafrost and putting pressure on water supplies. Before his speech, Francis met privately with school survivors. He then participated in an event showcasing the Inuit language and traditions such as throat singing. Organizers said the performers were chosen to showcase the cultural expressions that residential schools have tried — but failed — to stamp out. After his speech, a choir sang the Lord’s prayer in Inuktitut. Francis made the trip to Canada despite being nearly immobilized by knee pain. Before his departure, organizers were worried the Vatican might cancel – as the pope was scheduled to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan this month. A Congolese teenager has claimed rape by a priest. Had to leave. He can still say Liturgy. In Canada, Francis moved virtually from seat to seat—his papa, his Fiat 500, his wheelchair—relying on help every time he stood up. The journey continued on at a much slower pace than others during his captaincy. He held about two events a day, instead of the usual four or five. In Quebec on Friday morning, he used a walker. “It’s clear she’s making a sacrifice” to be in Canada, said an Indigenous woman attending Thursday’s service. Her name is Opolahsomuwehs, but she was given the name Imelda Perley during her childhood by a nun. Now 73, a linguist and retired teacher, Opolahsomuwehs said she still needs to “hear more than I’m sorry for.” “I want to hear how the church is going to restore what was needed.”
