But asking for forgiveness on Canadian soil has enormous significance for the survivors and their families for whom the land of their ancestors is of particular importance.
Francis will later go to the Church of the Sacred Heart of the First Peoples of Edmonton where he will deliver another speech before indigenous communities.
To Canada’s shock and acknowledgment of a dark past, as of May 2021, more than 1,300 unmarked graves have been discovered on the sites of former schools.
The Canadian government compensated former students with millions of dollars and officially excused itself 14 years ago for having created these schools to “kill the indigenous in the heart of the child.”
After the government, the Anglican church also apologized. But the Catholic Church, in charge of more than 60% of these schools, had not done so until now.
“Healing Journey”
Canada is slowly opening its eyes to this past described as “cultural genocide” by a national commission of inquiry.
Long-awaited, the six-day papal visit raises hope among some survivors and their families. Many also expect symbolic gestures, such as the restitution of indigenous art objects kept in the Vatican for decades.
On Tuesday, the pope will celebrate mass at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium where some 65,000 people are expected, before heading to Lake Sainte-Anne, the site of a major annual pilgrimage.
On Wednesday he will visit Québec City before the last leg of the trip, on Friday in Iqaluit, Nunavut, a northern Canadian city in the Arctic archipelago.
Weakened by pain in his knees, the Argentine Jesuit appeared on Sunday in a wheelchair but smiling during his arrival in Edmonton. His agenda was accommodated to avoid large displacements due to his state of health, according to the organizers.
With information from AFP and Reuters