By Barry Ellsworth
TRENTON, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Thursday apparently did not ask Pope Francis to visit Canada and formally apologize to thousands of aboriginals who were mistreated at Catholic-run residential schools.
The two leaders discussed Russia’s incursion into Ukraine – Harper has been highly critical of the action – as well as environmental and global security issues, according to a press release issued after the meeting at the Vatican.
“Prime Minister Harper addressed the situation in Ukraine and his deep concern with Vladimir Putin’s aggression, occupation and violence in Ukraine,” said statement from the prime minister’s office.
Harper pointed out a letter sent by Canadian Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Bernard Valcourt prior to the prime minister’s visit, detailing the mistreatment of natives at the schools.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission documented the abuse of native children who were taken from their families, if necessary by force, beginning in the late 1800s and placed in the schools where a significant number were subject to sexual molestation, harsh punishment and sometimes even starved. At least 6,000 died.
The practice, characterized by the commission as “cultural genocide”, ended when the last school was closed in 1996. The commission’s report, six years in the making, was released earlier this month.
The residential schools were government sanctioned and church run. The Anglican Church has apologized for the treatment in the residential schools it ran.
Before Thursday’s visit, Canadian aboriginal groups urged Harper to press the pope to visit Canada and apologize to the 80,000 survivors, but while the prime minister raised the letter, he appears to have stopped short of bringing up the apology.
“Prime Minister Harper also drew attention to the letter sent by Minister Valcourt to the Holy See regarding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” the statement from the prime minister’s office read. While the letter requested an apology, there was no mention of it in the prime minister office’s statement or in a separate release issued by the Vatican.
In April 2009, then-Aboriginal First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine met with then-Pope Benedict at the Vatican and the pontiff issued a “communiqué of sympathy” after the meeting.
But aboriginals want the current pontiff to issue a formal apology where the abuse occurred – on Canadian soil.
Harper invited Francis to Canada in 2017 for the country’s 150th birthday celebrations.
The meeting with the pope was reportedly very short, lasting only about 10 minutes, according to the Canadian Press wire service.
