Pope Francis asked for forgiveness on Friday for the “deplorable” abuse suffered by Indigenous peoples in Canada’s residential schools, saying he was ashamed and outraged at all they had endured at the hands of Catholic leaders.
Pope Francis apologized and promised to visit Canada during an audience with dozens of members of the Métis, Inuit and First Nations communities who came to Rome to ask for a papal apology and a commitment from the Church Catholic to repair the damage.
The pontiff spoke in Italian and it was not immediately clear if the audience understood what he said, although the crowd stood and cheered after he finished.
Further details will follow.
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