Indigenous leaders, activists and others are reacting to an apology by Pope Francis on Monday for the Catholic Church's role in Canada's residential school system, a moment recognized by some as an historic event, while others continue to urge the pontiff to follow up his words with action.
Pope Francis issued his apology during a visit to the former site of the Ermineskin Indian Residential School in Maskwacis, Alta., a journey he is calling his "penitential pilgrimage."
"I ask forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the church and of religious communities co-operated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools," he said.
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) released a statement calling for continued reconciliation and further investments in Indigenous healing.
"This a significant first step towards reconciliation and acknowledging the intergenerational trauma residential schools have had on Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island," CAP National Chief Elmer St. Pierre said.
"After failed attempts and a lack of will, it's time the Catholic Church make the investments needed to help ensure individuals and communities can heal."
The statement added that the CAP hopes this "historic" apology will encourage Indigenous people to reclaim their rich cultures and traditions.
"The vast majority of Indigenous Peoples now live in urban areas creating the need for more supports and programs off-reserve and in southern cities," the release says.
"CAP demands the Catholic Church make the reparations necessary to ensure all Indigenous Peoples have access to culturally relevant supports no matter where they live."
Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, responded to the papal visit saying an apology is about "actions."
"You show that you actually are sorrowful and you're committed to not making the same mistakes again through your actions. That is what this apology should be judged upon," she wrote on Twitter.
She highlighted the actions needed to eliminate the physical and sexual abuse of children around the world, the church's acceptance of responsibility for those abused or who died in its care, reparations and support for victims.
"The most important day of an apology is the day after, and the year after. We all need to be looking at what the Pope does then," Blackstock said.
In a news release, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the government policy of residential schools, with the participation of churches, "created deep wounds that are not easily or quickly healed."
"Yet we saw at Maskwacis both the resilience of Indigenous Peoples in preserving their culture, as well as the goodwill of Catholics and other Canadians to both truth and reconciliation," he said.
In a statement released by his office, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said reconciliation is the "responsibility of all Canadians."
"It is our responsibility to be open, to listen, and to share. It is our responsibility to see our differences not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to learn, to better understand one another, and to take action," Trudeau said.
"No one must ever forget what happened at residential schools across Canada and we must all ensure it never happens again. In the spirit of reconciliation and healing, together we will build a better future — for Indigenous Peoples and all Canadians."
Lori Idlout, Crown-Indigenous Relations critic for the federal New Democratic Party, said in a statement that the Catholic Church's role in the "genocide" against Indigenous people still affects families and communities.
Idlout added, "Immediate action is urgently needed to ensure healing from crimes committed against Inuit, First Nations and Métis, at the hands of the churches."
"The Catholic Church and the government worked together in harms and crimes, and they must work together to ensure that the harm done to Indigenous Peoples is being addressed in meaningful ways. Co-operating with ongoing investigations and making all documents requested by survivors, police and local governments available is the very least that the Church and the federal government can do for Indigenous Peoples," Idlout said.
"The Pope's visit is an opportunity to forge a new path toward healing — it must not be symbolic."
Pope Francis also apologized for being unable to visit other Canadian communities that extended invitations to him, including Winnipeg.
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs acting Grand Chief Cornell McLean said in a statement that the Pope's apology is a step toward healing for many.
"It has been over a year since discovering over a thousand unmarked graves of children on Indian Residential School grounds, and we are still mourning them. An apology does not ease the pain of lost children who never returned home, or the legacy First Nations carry as the Survivors, their children and their grandchildren," he said.
"However, we encourage the Church to move forward in the spirit of reconciliation by making concrete commitments and true reparations going forward."
Here are other reactions to Pope Francis's apology:
"Pope Francis's words today and in Rome this spring represent a journey that has taken more than 180 years — from the time the doors of these so-called schools opened to the challenges First Nations people live today," former Assembly of First Nations chief Phil Fontaine, who attended two Manitoba residential schools, said in a statement. "By apologizing for the abuses of the past, Pope Francis has helped to open the door for survivors and their families to walk together with the church for a present and future of forgiveness and healing. I accept and choose this path."
"Every survivor will choose how they feel about the apology. We have witnessed the Pope's response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action No. 58 — and heard a message of hope to our people, Canadians, and Catholics worldwide: First Nations cultures, languages, and traditions matter. This message will help to guide us all on the path to reconciliation," AFN Regional Chief Cindy Woodhouse said.
"I believe today was a very good second beginning, because I believe it started long ago when leaders of the day, before I was around, asked for those very same things," Audrey Poitras, president of the Metis Nation of Alberta, said.
With files from CTV News and The Canadian Press
------
If you are a former residential school survivor in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419. Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.
The number of young people experiencing eating disorders surged during the height of the pandemic as the social and economic costs skyrocketed too, a new pan-Canadian report has found.
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Every provincial employee is receiving emails or memos directing them to change their passwords immediately, CTV News has learned.
Vancouver council is set to vote on banning the sale of butane lighters that firefighters say are contributing to a "surge" of blazes causing injuries, death and damage in the city.
Authorities have arrested a 44-year-old woman who praised last October's attack on Israel during a rally in downtown Vancouver.
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
A female pedestrian has been taken to the hospital after being struck by a vehicle in Brampton.
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
High River RCMP are calling for increased highway awareness after an officer conducting a traffic stop on Highway 2 narrowly escaped being struck by a truck.
The parent council from a Calgary school has launched an online petition over concerns the facility won't be able to withstand unprecedented enrollment growth.
Calgary real estate prices continued to rise in April, as demand for more affordable, higher-density properties remained high.
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Two Ottawa non-profits, both serving the autism community, have suddenly closed their doors within the past week, leaving parents with fewer supports in the city.
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
A judge has rejected a request from two McGill University students for a court injunction to limit where protesters can go on campus.
Montreal police say a woman was arrested early Wednesday evening after she allegedly stabbed a man in a park in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Even though the Quebec advisory committee on gender identity has yet to make its recommendations, Education Minister Bernard Drainville has decided to ban gender-neutral toilets and changing rooms in public schools.
A man is in life-threatening condition after a Wednesday afternoon stabbing in Edmonton's core.
At this time last year, e-scooters had been patrolling Edmonton streets for almost a month. This year, they have yet to make their debut -- and likely won't until the end of this month at the earliest.
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) announced Wednesday morning Joe Zatylny will step down as its chief on May 10.
Local police say officers arrested Michael Bebee, the most wanted fugitive in Canada, in Charlottetown, P.E.I., Tuesday night.
A young moose that made its way through the Fredericton Tuesday had to be euthanized, according to the province’s Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development.
For the next month, thousands of shoppers from across the country plan to get their groceries anywhere other than Loblaws-owned stores. The move is an attempt to get the box chain to lower its prices, as frustration grows over the high price of food.
A motion before Winnipeg’s public works committee could make it easier for shoppers who stocked up on bulk packs of toilet paper and chicken breast to exit one of the city’s bustling Costco locations.
Mary Young walks across the Louise Bridge every day.
More than a dozen people are facing charges, the majority Winnipeggers, after an interprovincial drug bust that turned up millions of dollars in cash, drugs, guns, jewelry and luxury vehicles.
A former campground in Regina will be turned into an Indigenous ceremony site.
A community forum hosted by the Regina Police Service (RPS) is educating people on the impacts various vulnerable groups feel when a person goes missing.
The search is over for a Regina dog with health issues that had gone missing at the end of March.
Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.
Hollywood heavyweight Arnold Schwarzenegger has caused quite a stir in a small Ontario town this week.
Patio season is just getting started in Guelph, but some businesses are not on board with expanding their footprint this summer.
Saskatchewan employers will be required to tell new hires if they face a risk of violence in the workplace and to take actions against it starting on May 17.
Police officers and cadaver dogs have begun searching the Saskatoon landfill for answers in the Mackenzie Lee Trottier case.
In an innovative effort to raise awareness about ocean health, Kristin Moskalyk and a team of programmers from the University of Saskatchewan have developed a virtual world within the Metaverse.
Police in Sault Ste. Marie are investigating two sudden deaths on Boundary Road.
The remains of a 44-year-old person were found Tuesday morning on Delamere Road in French River, Ontario Provincial Police said.
Terry Sutherland is trying to sell his home in Tweed, Ont., but he'll likely be hit by the capital gains tax rise.
Residents who live in the Hyde Park Place apartments in north London, Ont. said they are heartbroken after Old Oak Properties removed two geese nests, containing more than half a dozen eggs.
As protestors set up tent encampments at universities across Canada and the U.S.in support of Palestine, London, Ont.’s Western University finds itself no exception on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, councillors with the Municipality of South Bruce voted on a nuclear waste hosting agreement that could change the course of their community forever.
The man who police say killed Katherine Janeiro and left her body for friends to find, Robert MacQueen aka Bruce Ellis will stand trial for her murder.
A Barrie woman was all smiles after taking home a big lottery win to her husband.
Wasaga Beach will finally have its first high school. On Wednesday, the Town announced the state-of-the-art kindergarten to Grade 12 school project will go ahead.
The City of Windsor has filed its statement of defence following a wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed by a former senior employee.
An overseas manufacturer said it has developed electric vehicle batteries which can be charged in as much time as it takes to grab a coffee from Tim Horton's — and similar batteries are expected to be made by a Windsor-based EV research group sometime this year.
If you like engine revving, loud music and squealing tires, you could be landing yourself a ticket. That’s the message Wednesday from the Windsor Police Service as it launches the 2024 Anti-Noise Campaign.
A pro-Palestinian protest camp has formed at the University of Victoria in solidarity with the people of Gaza and with similar encampments that have sprung up on university and college campuses in opposition to the Israel-Hamas war.
Every provincial employee is receiving emails or memos directing them to change their passwords immediately, CTV News has learned.
The British Columbia government is spending more money to recruit and retain health-science workers, especially those in rural and remote communities.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
Volunteers with ‘The Watch’ program in Lethbridge have been patrolling the city centre rain or shine for five years.
A Transportation Safety Board report says experience, recent training and safety equipment were key factors in a pilot surviving the crash of a firefighting plane south of Cranbrook in August 2022.
Facing a Tuesday night elimination game, Caelan Fitzpatrick responded with a hat trick to lead the Brooks Bandits past the Okotoks Oilers 5-1.
The City of Sault Ste. Marie will soon be charging owners of vacant properties a special tax.
A group of Sault Ste. Marie YMCA supporters working to save the facility from closure received a glimmer of hope at this week’s city council meeting.
Another incident at Algoma Steel has union officials questioning safety protocols at Sault Ste. Marie’s steel plant.
Richard Martin is spending this year's fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature.
Tributes continue to pour in for Bob Cole as his family has confirmed a funeral will be held for the legendary broadcaster Friday in St. John's, N.L.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
Shovels have hit the ground for constuction on Canada's LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa.
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will support the federal budget, ending any speculation that the party could pull out of its deal with the minority Liberal government.
Citizens' Services Minister Terry Beech says 1,200 seniors have already visited a dentist and had their claims processed by the federal government's new dental care plan.
The number of young people experiencing eating disorders surged during the height of the pandemic as the social and economic costs skyrocketed too, a new pan-Canadian report has found.
The highly contagious norovirus is spreading across Canada, with some symptoms overlapping with other viruses. CTVNews.ca spoke with a health expert to find out how you can tell you have norovirus, the most common form of stomach flu, and what to do if you have it.
Nathaly Paola Castro Torres has a rare disorder called Laron syndrome that is caused by a genetic mutation. It stunts her growth but also provides a hidden silver lining: Her body is protected from chronic diseases such as cancer that often take life away long before old age.
In a first-of-its-kind case, a B.C. tribunal has ruled on a dispute involving the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, awarding damages and issuing orders that the photos be destroyed and taken offline.
A wealthy Silicon Valley-backed campaign to build a green city for up to 400,000 people in the San Francisco Bay Area has submitted what it says are enough signatures to qualify the initiative for the November election.
Pop superstar Dua Lipa is preparing to pull double duty as this week's 'Saturday Night Live' host and musical guest, with a little help from cast member Chloe Fineman.
The career of the Godfather of Canadian Hip-Hop, aka Maestro Fresh Wes, is getting its close-up in a new exhibition that opens May 15 at the National Music Centre.
Melissa McCarthy was completely unbothered by a comment Barbra Streisand left on her Instagram in which the legendary singer asked the Oscar-nominated actress if she was on Ozempic. In fact, she took it as a compliment.
Employees at Canada's two biggest railways have authorized a strike that could see thousands of workers walk off the job in three weeks if they are unable to reach new deals on contract demands.
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says he doesn't think the federal budget tabled last month will have much of an effect on inflation.
Plans to use a renovated cruise ship to house more than 600 workers as they build a liquefied natural gas facility near Squamish, B.C., have been voted down by the local council.
Have you ever wanted to rekindle an old friendship, but stopped short of actually reaching out?
A month after eight Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were stranded in Africa when their ship left without them because they were late getting back, a U.S. couple – ages 84 and 81 – were also left behind by the cruise line in Spain.
The City of Toronto is lowering adoption fees until Sunday to find homes for a number of dogs with “ridiculous, bizarre and terrible names” living in the North York crowded shelter.
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper apologized for making what he called an inappropriate analogy of putting skirts on goalies.
Oilers forward Zach Hyman hoping to teach 'Shaq Hyman' how to skate: 'For free'
The Nashville Predators kept their season alive with a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series Tuesday.
Drivers in Saskatchewan will now lose their licence for a week and their vehicle for a month if they are caught committing certain high-speed and dangerous offences on the road.
Rolls-Royce is vastly expanding its factory in Chichester, England. The BMW subsidiary is adding five new buildings with construction planned to start next year.
On a three-lane test track along the Monongahela River, an 18-wheel tractor-trailer rounded a curve. No one was on board.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
