Prince Charles promises Canada ‘healing and understanding’ over school scandal | UK News
The Prince of Wales paid tribute to the thousands of Indigenous children being abused in residential schools in Canada, saying “we must find new ways to face the dark and difficult sides of the world”. harder than in the past”.
Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall began his three-day tour of Canada with a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor-General Mary Simon in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Before the couple flew to Canada, they faced calls from indigenous communities asking the Queen, Canada’s head of state, to formally apologize for the treatment of Indigenous peoples in the country. educational institution.
Following an official welcome to St John’s on Canada’s east coast, the Prince used the first speech of his tour to acknowledge but not apologize for the atrocities, saying: As we look to our shared future, as one planet sharers, we must find new ways to face the darker and more difficult aspects of the past: redundancy. accept, reconcile and strive to do better.
“It’s a process that starts with listening. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss with the Governor-General the important process of reconciliation in this country – not a one-time act of course. , but rather an ongoing commitment to healing, respect, and understanding.
“I know that our visit here this week comes at a pivotal time – with Indigenous and non-Indigenous people across Canada committed to honestly and openly reflecting on our past and creating a new relationship for the future.”
Last year, Hundreds of human remains have been found in unmarked graves at schools formerly run by the church.
From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend state-funded Christian boarding schools in an effort to integrate them into Canadian society.
Thousands of children have died from disease and other causes, many of them never being able to return to their families. The Canadian government has admitted physical and sexual abuse took place, with students being beaten for speaking their mother tongue.
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‘Heavy guilt’
Charles went on to say that on their Three-Day Platinum tour, which will see the pair travel to Ottawa and Yellowknife, the capital city of the Northwest Territories, “my wife and I look forward to hearing from you and learn about the future. you are working to build”.
He added: “As so often in the history of this country and people, Canadians have embarked on a journey that requires commitment and courage.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby recently visited Canada and apologized for the “terrible crime” of the Anglican Church’s involvement in Canadian residential schools, and for the “heartbreaking sins” of the Church of England against the peoples native of Canada.
Pope Francis plans to visit Canada this summer to apologize for the abuses suffered by indigenous peoples at the hands of the Catholic Church.