OTTAWA (WNEWS) – The Canadian government has expressed its dissatisfaction with the Pope’s failure to apologize for the church-run residential school tragedy that took the lives of 215 children.
The Pope offered sorrow but no apology causing a setback in any reconciliation effort.
Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett said, “Residential school survivors and those dealing with it need to hear the Pope apologize, explicitly for the Catholic Church’s role in this tragedy to unlock the healing and support closure.”
Justin Trudeau’s called for the Catholic Church to “step up” and take responsibility for its role in residential schools but the Roman Catholic archbishop of Toronto felt the Prime Ministers’ statement was “unhelpful and “not based on real facts.”
On Sunday, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Toronto said he felt Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s calls for the Catholic Church to “step up” and take responsibility for its role in residential schools were “unhelpful and “not based on real facts.”
The Prime Minister’s office says it stands by comments it made last week, calling for the Pope to apologize and demanding that the church release all related records or possibly face court action.
The opposition parties have put pressure on Justin Trudeau’s government in recent days.
