Pope Francis is ready to retire
Pope Francis has stated that he is willing to quit. The 85-year-old...
On Saturday, Pope Francis referred to what took place at the residential schools that the Roman Catholic Church; and other Christian Churches used to forcibly integrate indigenous children in Canada as genocide.
After a week-long visit to Canada, where he issued a historic apology for the Church’s part in the policy; the pope made the remark on a flight back to Rome.
On the flight, a native Canadian reporter questioned him about why he avoided using the word “genocide”; and whether he would agree that Church members had committed genocide.
“True, I didn’t think of the word and hence didn’t use it. But I did mention genocide. I expressed regret and begged pardon for this act of extermination “Francis stated.
The pope said, “I opposed this, taking children away and attempting to alter their beliefs; customs, traditions, a race, an entire culture.
More than 150,000 native children were taken away from their families and sent to residential schools between 1881 and 1996. In a system that Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission referred; to as “cultural genocide,” several children were malnourished, physically assaulted, and sexually molested.
Religious organisations, the majority of which were Catholic priests and nuns; ran the schools on behalf of the governments.
“Yes, genocide is a technical term, but I didn’t use it because I hadn’t thought of it. Instead, I detailed what happened, and it is plainly a genocide. You may assert that I stated it to be a genocide, “said he.
In his Monday visit to Maskwacis, where two former residential schools once stood; Francis expressed regret and referred to forced assimilation; as “evil” and a “disastrous mistake.”
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