Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his “pain” over the discovery in Canada of the remains of 215 indigenous students of church-run boarding schools and pressed religious and political authorities to shed light on “this sad affair”.
But he didn’t offer the apology sought by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Francis, in remarks to faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square, also called on the authorities to foster healing but made no reference to Trudeau’s insistence, two days earlier, that the Vatican should apologise and take responsibility.
Ground-penetrating radar was used to confirm the remains of the children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, last month. “I am following with pain the news that arrives from Canada about the upsetting discovery of the remains of 215 children,” Francis said.