The apology must be given to all survivors, and some would not feel comfortable attending a traditional Catholic event, the angry survivors say.

The comments from the current indigenous leaders represent a new generation that wants redress rather than reconciliation, says Fr Raymond de Souza in the National Post.

While former national chiefs Phil Fontaine and Willie Littlechild worked hard in the 1990s and 2000s to heal the relationship and establish new partnerships, the current national chief, RoseAnne Archibald, is twenty years younger and is less inclined, he says.

Archibald refused to join the delegation to meet Francis.

While the new leadership disagrees on some aspects surrounding a possible apology, they agree on four points.

• Any further apology must acknowledge the complicity of the entire Catholic Church and the Vatican, not just some individuals.
• Action must accompany any apology. This includes disclosing all documents on the schools and graves, as well as full payment of compensation which some estimate to be more than $60 million. It also includes repatriation of artefacts, repudiation of the colonial Doctrine of Discovery, and prosecution and extradition of abuser priests.
• All expenses — roughly $50 to $100 million for previous papal visits — should be paid entirely by the Vatican.
• The location, timing and all major decisions should be made by the survivors themselves.

The four points follow local reactions that poured in following Pope Francis' apology.

After watching Francis' apology, Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie said he was angry and disappointed.

"Come on let's get real, it was a forced apology.

"It was a political apology.

"When someone is forced to apologise, I don't think that is a sincere apology," said Louie.

Thousands of Indigenous children were forced into Canadian Government residential schools run by the United, Presbyterian, Anglican and Catholic churches.

Around 60% of the schools were Catholic-run.

"That church is a multi-billion-dollar organisation. It's rich, very rich and it caused the loss of our First Nations language, a lot of cultural damage, and it should be bucking up some of those billions to go towards the damages of the past," added Louie.

"There should be a criminal investigation done, criminal," he said.

"If just two non-native graves were found in this country, what would the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) do? They'd launch a criminal investigation.

"Here you have 215 unmarked graves in Kamloops - where's the criminal investigation? There is still too much racism."

He added that Francis' apology came too late and now is the time for action.

"No more nice words; no more phoney, forced apologies. We need some anger and action.

"It is anger and action time in my opinion," said Louie.

The archbishop of Edmonton, Richard Smith, says the apology from Pope Francis for the role the Roman Catholic Church played in the residential school system is just the first step on the road to healing.

Smith says the pope also made it clear to the bishops that an apology needs to be followed up with concrete action, especially at the local level.

"Indigenous peoples across the country are distinct and they're autonomous. We've got to be really careful to avoid a perpetuation of colonial mentality, whereby we say to them: ‘Here are your problems — we know how to fix it and here's what we will do for you,"' Smith said.

"Those days are over."

At a press conference the day before Francis' apology at the Vatican, a series of Assembly of First Nations delegates spoke for an hour with nary a word about their actual conversation with the Holy Father; they merely read at length their prepared statements obviously aimed at a political base at home that had opposed the Vatican meeting altogether - so reports the National Post.

Sources

• CBC
• National Post
• Global News
• Global News

The Most Rev. Justin Welby, head of the Church of England and leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, is visiting Canada from April 29 to May 3 to highlight the church's desire to pursue reconciliation with indigenous people. Besides the local stop, he will meet with Anglican indigenous leaders and other indigenous people in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Toronto.

Welby's visit on May 2 to the Woodland Cultural Centre, which is adjacent to the former Mohawk Institute residential school, will include a meeting with survivors. A prayer service with indigenous leaders will be held afterwards at the nearby Mohawk Chapel which was built in 1785 and is the first Protestant church in Upper Canada.

The Mohawk Institute is considered Canada's longest-running residential school, operating from 1828 to 1970. It was run by the Anglican Church that has apologised to indigenous communities for its role in the school system. Continue reading

This is National Chief, Gerald Antoine's description of Pope Francis' apology for the part the Catholic Church played in Canada's residential school system.

"That is the feeling that I have, because there is a possibility," he said moments after the apology.

"Today is a day that we've been waiting for and certainly one that will be uplifted in our history," said Antoine.

His comments came following a delegation of indigenous tribes - First Nations, Inuit and Métis - to the Vatican.

Another leader, Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit, said that people will have different perspectives of the apology, but "Today we have a piece of the puzzle.

"We have a heartfelt expression from the church that was delivered by Pope Francis in an empathetic and caring way.

"I was touched by the way in which he expressed his sorrow and also the way in which he condemned the actions of the Church in particular," Obed said.

Former national chief, Phil Fontaine, who first gave attention to the matter in 1990, says he hoped the long-sought apology would come.

However, Fontaine says he was shocked when he heard the Pope say: "I am very sorry."

Jubilation

The jubilation was felt early on by the wider group.

The indigenous delegation strongly felt the enormity of what they were up against going to Rome, writes Tanya Talaga, an Anishinaabe journalist for Canada's Globe and Mail.

"This has been a CCCB (Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops) controlled trip and, at times, it has felt like an organised pilgrimage, complete with Mass being offered every day at 6pm in the hotel basement.

"But this delegation is well aware of what it is up against.

"On Monday, the Métis delegation went rogue after their meeting with the Pontiff, the first of four private audiences.

"Instead of getting back on the idling church buses, they paraded through St Peter's Square, led by youth fiddlers.

"It was a sight to behold. Their red sashes swayed as they sashayed out of the Vatican.

"One elder even danced in her wheelchair," she wrote.

The apology

The apology came on Saturday (NZ time) after a week of talks with First Nations, Inuit and Métis delegations in Rome.

"I feel shame - sorrow and shame - for the role that a number of Catholics, particularly those with educational responsibilities, have had in all these things that wounded you, in the abuses you suffered and in the lack of respect shown for your identity, your culture and even your spiritual values" said the pope.

"All these things are contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"For the deplorable conduct of those members of the Catholic Church, I ask for God's forgiveness and I want to say to you with all my heart: I am very sorry.

"And I join my brothers, the Canadian bishops, in asking your pardon.

"Clearly, the content of the faith cannot be transmitted in a way contrary to the faith itself: Jesus taught us to welcome, love, serve and not judge; it is a frightening thing when, precisely in the name of the faith, counter-witness is rendered to the Gospel."

Apology's context

An estimated 150,000 indigenous children were forced to attend Canadian Government-built residential schools to assimilate themselves into the Canadian society to deal with what was once called the "Indian problem".

The system forcibly separated children from their families for extended periods of time and forbade them to acknowledge their indigenous heritage and culture or to speak their own languages.

Former students tell of extensive and systemic abuse — physical and sexual — at the hands of authorities within the system. Indigenous leaders have termed the residential schools' system a "cultural genocide".

At least 4,100 deaths - due mainly to tuberculosis caused by deplorable living conditions - have been documented at the former residential schools where thousands of confirmed and unmarked graves have been found.

The State schools were run by the United, Presbyterian, Anglican and Catholic churches. More than 60 per cent of the schools were run by the Catholic Church.

The State and the other churches have already apologised, however former mayor of Kamloops and retired newspaper editor Mel Rothenburger says all aspects of Canadian society have a role to play in what happens next.

"Let's not forget residential schools were built by the Canadian government. The Catholic and Anglican churches were, in effect, the contractors who ran them. All aspects of Canadian society have a role to play in what happens now. That includes the media, which need to shed biases and assumptions and lead responsibly."

Francis to visit Canada

During the apology, Francis said he would like to visit Canada this year around the feast of St Anne, mother of Mary.

"This year, I would like to be with you on that day," Francis said.

"I won't come in the winter!" he joked, drawing laughs.

Canadian government

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the country's history "will forever be stained" by the legacy of the schools and that he was looking forward to the papal visit.

"Today's apology is a step forward in acknowledging the truth of our past.

"We cannot separate the legacy of the residential school system from the institutions that created, maintained, and operated it, including the Government of Canada and the Catholic Church," he said in a statement.

For Chief Gerald Antoine, a key remaining concern is a formal recognition by the Canadian government that the residential schools were part of a systemic attempt at "cultural genocide" or, as he explained it, an attempt "to kill the Indian in the child" and force them to assimilate.

Sources

• CBC
• National Post
• MountainView Today
• CFJC Today
• Globe and Mail
• CNS
• La Croix International
• The Vatican