OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau says he is disappointed with the Pope's decision not to apologize for the Catholic Church's role in residential schools and the trauma experienced by their students.
The prime minister says reconciliation is not just between government and Indigenous people, but must also involve non-government actors as well.
A letter released Tuesday by the president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops says Pope Francis has not shied away from recognizing injustices faced by Indigenous peoples around the world, but that he can't personally apologize for residential schools.
An apology from the church was one of the 94 recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the prime minister asked the Pope to consider the gesture when he visited the Vatican last year.
The church has offered apologies in the past, including in 2010 to Irish victims of sexual abuse and in 2015 to Indigenous peoples in the Americas for the "grave sins" of colonialism.
Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett says the government will keep pushing for a papal apology.
