Canadian Indigenous leaders to meet Pope over school abuse
Toronto, Canada AP When an Assembly of First Nations delegation traveled to the Vatican in 2009 to meet with then-Pope Benedict XVI, the pontiff told them in a private meeting of his “personal anguish” over abuse suffered by Indigenous children in church-run boarding schools they were forced to attend in Canada. What at the time […]
Papal meeting with Canadian First Nations now set
Toronto, CanadaAP A meeting at the Vatican between Pope Francis and Indigenous people who were abused at church-run boarding schools in Canada has been rescheduled for late March and early April after being postponed due to the pandemic. The change was announced in a joint statement Tuesday by the Canadian Catholic Bishops, Assembly of First […]
Canada First Nation finds possible burial sites at school
Williams Lake, British Columbia AP A First Nation in Canada says a preliminary geophysical investigation has identified 93 possible burial sites around the site of a church-run boarding school. Chief Willie Sellars of the Williams Lake First Nation said Tuesday that excavation would be needed to confirm the presence of human remains and much more […]
Canada reaches agreement to compensate Indigenous children taken from families
Toronto, CanadaReuters Canada announced on Tuesday two agreements totalling $C40 billion to compensate First Nations children who were taken from their families and put into the child welfare system and to reform the system that removed them and deprived them of services they needed. The agreements include $C20 billion for potentially hundreds of thousands of […]
Pope OKs Canada trip to help healing with Indigenous peoples; popes get third shot
Vatican CityAP Pope Francis has agreed to visit Canada to help ongoing efforts at reconciliation with Indigenous peoples following shocking revelations of the Catholic church’s role in the abuse and deaths of thousands of native children, the Vatican said on Wednesday. In a brief statement, the Holy See’s press office said that the Canadian Conference […]
Canada marks first national holiday for Indigenous reconciliation
Ottawa, CanadaReuters Canada on Thursday held its the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour the lost children and survivors of Indigenous schools, following the gruesome discovery of more than 1,000 unmarked graves at two former schools earlier this year. The so-called residential school system, which operated between 1831 and 1996, removed about 150,000 Indigenous […]
Rethinking church: How San Xavier del Bac Mission is reconsidering the impact of tourism
A correspondent for the Associated Press reports from the US state of Arizona on how the coronavirus pandemic has helped one mission church consider a different future…
The Bible: First Nations Version translates the New Testament for Native American readers
EMILY MCFARLAN MILLER, of Religion News Service, reports on the story behind the making of a new Bible translation for First Nations people…
Trudeau denounces church burnings, vandalism in Canada
Vancouver, British ColumbiaAP Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday denounced the burning and vandalism of Catholic churches that has followed discovery of unmarked graves and former schools for Indigenous children. Several Catholic churches have recently been vandalised or damaged in fires following the discovery of more than 1,100 unmarked graves at the sites of […]
Canadian Indigenous group says more graves found; US Catholic bishops pledge to assist review
Cranbrook, British Colombia, CanadaAP A Canadian Indigenous group said Wednesday a search using ground-penetrating radar has found 182 human remains in unmarked graves at a site near a former Catholic Church-run residential school that housed Indigenous children taken from their families. The latest discovery of graves near Cranbrook, British Columbia follows reports of similar findings […]