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Reconciliation Today
In recent years, the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has formed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission focuses on repairing the relationship between the Catholic Church and Canada's Indigenous people.
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In 2018, Archbishop Anthony Mancini of The Archdiocese of Halifax Yarmouth, and Bishop Brian Dunn of the Diocese of Antigonish gave a formal apology to the Mi'kmaq People during the Annual Treaty Day mass on October 1, 2018
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Treaty Day commemorates the anniversary of the 1752 Treaty of Friendship and Peace and marks the beginning of Mi’kmaq History Month in Nova Scotia.
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"On this day, we personally and in our roles as leaders of the Catholic Church in Nova Scotia, kneel before the representatives of the Mi’kmaq nation to express our regret, sorrow and apology for the hurts, violence and abuse experienced in the Residential School of Shubenacadie. " - Excerpt from the letter to the faithful read at the 2018 Treaty Day Mass
Treaty Day mass on October 1, 2019 at Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Source: Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth. Used with permission
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
In 1991, in addition to paying settlements to residential school survivors, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate issued a formal appology. An excerpt of the apology reads as follows:
“We wish to apologize in a very particular way for the instances of physical and sexual abuse that occurred in those schools…Far from attempting to defend or rationalize these cases of abuse in any way, we wish to state publicly that we acknowledge they were inexcusable, intolerable and a betrayal of trust in one of its most serious forms. We deeply and very specifically, apologize to every victim of such abuse and we seek help in searching for means to bring about healing.”
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The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate operated the former Shubenacadie Indian Residential School in Nova Scotia for some time, aswell as other schools across Canada.
Most Reverend Austin Burke
In Nova Scotia, then Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Halifax, Most Reverend Austin Burke visited two Mi’kmaq parish communities within the diocese in 1992 and 1993 to apologize for the mistreatment of Mi’kmaq children at Shubenacadie Residential School. Part of his homily reads:
“I cannot change the past. I cannot erase the damage that has been done. I can express my own sorrow, and the sorrow of your brothers and sisters in our Church of Halifax, for your suffering. I apologize for whatever pain the church itself may have been responsible for causing in the residential school. The church is not meant to hurt, but to heal – and I must say that I am truly sorry if people caused some lingering hurts in the name of the Church.”
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Most Reverend Austin Burke, Archbishop Emeritus of Halifax. Source: CCCB
Pope Francis' Visit to Canada
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's 58th call to action states:
"We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to Survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools. We call for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology issued to Irish victims of abuse (...) and to be delivered by the Pope in Canada."
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Pope Francis made a pastoral visit to Canada from July 24 to 29, 2022. The Pope’s visit provided a unique opportunity for him, once again, to listen and dialogue with Indigenous Peoples, to express his heartfelt closeness and to address the impact of colonization and the participation of the Catholic Church in the operation of residential schools throughout Canada.