Translation error behind Pope's call for 'investigation' into residential schools: organizers
Organizers of the papal visit say the Vatican has "clarified" part of Pope Francis's apology to residential school survivors, noting an error occurred during translation.
The pontiff's words near Edmonton this week raised questions when he said an important part of moving past requesting forgiveness "will be to conduct a serious investigation into the facts of what took place."
Francis, born in Argentina, was speaking Spanish and the apology was being translated into English.
Papal visit organizers say in a statement the Vatican "clarified" the English translation should have meant survivors heard the Pope say what's needed next is a "serious search," not a "serious investigation."
"In listening to what the Holy Father has said, he has communicated his profound desire for the Catholic community to continue taking steps towards the transparent search for truth, and to foster healing and reconciliation," the statement from organizers said.
They say Canadian bishops have also pledged to turn over documents that might help communities identify the remains of Indigenous children believed to be buried in unmarked graves at former school sites.
The desire to see residential school-related records held in the Vatican and other Catholic entities are among the outstanding requests Pope Francis faces as he tours Canada.
Yellowhead Institute executive director Hayden King, who is Anishinaabe from Beausoleil First Nation in Ontario, said his immediate reaction to the pontiff mentioning the need for a search or investigation was how the Vatican is only at the beginning of understanding the harm that has been done.
"We've been living this ... since before Confederation," he said.
"It's not necessarily the case that we're looking for another inquiry."
King said that while the Pope is discussing the need to search for facts, the Catholic Church has "thousands" pages of documents naming clergy who committed abuses against Indigenous children forced to attend residential schools.
"Everyone else is looking for something much more than … 'We're going to go away and figure out what happened, and we'll get back to you.'"
At the same time, King said if an investigation or search leads to the release of more church-held documents, that would help.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, which collects residential school records, said in a statement the Catholic Church needs to collaborate "to show accountability."
Canada already investigated the system through a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that operated from 2008 to 2015.
It heard from nearly 7,000 survivors and their families about what happened at the institutions, and chronicled how thousands of children suffered abuse, neglect and malnourishment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Services Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
BREAKING American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
BREAKING Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.