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The Pope goes on a penitential trip to Canada

The Pope goes on a penitential trip to Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets the Pope at Edmonton International Airport.

The hope is that the journey will contribute to healing and reconciliation.

About 150,000 Aboriginal children of Canada were from the late nineteenth century until about 1990 enrolled in 139 Catholic boarding schools across the country, with the goal of forced assimilation.

sorry later

Now the Pope wants to apologize to the survivors. During his stay, he will, among other things, visit Maskwacis, about 10 kilometers south of Edmonton, to speak before an audience of about 15,000 people. Many of the attendees will be former students of boarding schools.

However, many believe that an apology comes too late.

When I went to school, I lost a lot of my culture, my ancestors. A former student says it’s many years of wasted.

Thousands died

The children spent months isolated from their families, language and culture. Many of them were physically and sexually assaulted.

Thousands are also suspected of dying from disease, malnutrition or neglect. Since May 2021, 1,300 unmarked graves have been found in schools.

The Pope is spending a week in Canada and also visiting Quebec and Iqaluit.

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