Pope Francis expressed his sorrow at the discovery of the remains of more than 200 children in a Canadian aboriginal boarding school. In his speech after the Three Bells Prayer on June 6, the Pope urged the political and religious authorities to cooperate to clarify the matter and work together to embark on the path of reconciliation and healing.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis expressed his sorrow at the discovery of the remains of 215 children in the Canadian Indian Aboriginal boarding school in his speech after the Three Bell Sutra prayers on June 6. The Pope stated that he “together with the bishop of Canada and the entire church in Canada to express his concern for the Canadian people. The Canadian people are hurt by the shocking news.”
The Pope said: “This tragic discovery has further deepened people’s understanding of the pain and suffering of the past.” The Pope called on the Canadian political and religious authorities to “continue to work together, determined to uncover the truth of this tragic event, and humbly. Committed to the path of reconciliation and healing”.
Then, the pope added: “This difficult time strongly urges all of us to get rid of colonial mode and ideological colonization, and urges us to walk side by side with dialogue and mutual respect, and recognize the rights and cultural values of all Canadian children.” The Pope urged everyone to pray together, saying: “We entrust the souls of all children who died in Canadian boarding schools to the Lord, and pray for the heartbroken families and groups of the Canadian aborigines.”
Canada’s boarding school system brutally removed 150,000 children from their families. These boarding schools, run by the government and different Christian churches, aim to assimilate indigenous children. The remains of as many as 215 aboriginal children were found under the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Boarding School last month. The relevant authorities urged a full investigation of their deaths, including scientific identification of the recovered remains, and the identification and registration of missing children.