OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on the Catholic Church to “step up” and take responsibility for its role in Canada’s residential school system.
Trudeau says as a Catholic he is deeply disappointed by the position that the church has taken now and over the past couple years.
He notes that he personally asked the Pope in 2017 to consider an apology for the institution’s part in the government-sponsored, church-run schools for Indigenous children.
READ MORE: Indigenous leaders slam Catholic Church for lack of accountability on residential schools
He says it’s going to be important for Catholics across the country to reach out to bishops and cardinals on this issue.
Trudeau says he expects the church to be part of the important process of truth and healing and to make school records available.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops announced in 2018 that the Pope could not personally apologize for residential schools, even though he has not shied away from recognizing injustices faced by Indigenous people around the world.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2021.
The Canadian Press
