Pope Francis’ Apology to Indigenous Canadians Leaves a Mixed But Meaningful Legacy
For Dene youth advocate Taylor Behn-Tsakoza, the death of Pope Francis brings a moment of reflection on a historic chapter in reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Behn-Tsakoza was part of a 2022 delegation to the Vatican that urged the pontiff to apologise for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential school system — a request he fulfilled the very next day.
“It was a really moving moment,” she recalled. “I felt like, ‘Wow, things can possibly be changing.'”
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission had called for the apology years earlier, urging the Church to take responsibility for its part in the abuse suffered by Indigenous children in church-run schools. Behn-Tsakoza, then 25, told the pope about her family’s experience of having their language and culture forcibly stripped away.
“I told him, ‘You’re a very progressive pope… please listen to the survivors,’” she said. She felt Pope Francis was genuinely engaged and emotionally impacted.
Four months later, the pope travelled to Canada, standing before survivors in Alberta and delivering a heartfelt apology. “I am deeply sorry,” he said, condemning the Church’s support of colonial practices and the harm caused by forcibly removing children from their communities.
Matthew Wildcat, an assistant professor and member of the Ermineskin Cree Nation, was present at the event. He described the silence of the crowd — many of them survivors — as profound. While he found the moment meaningful, he noted the apology focused more on individual wrongdoing than institutional accountability.
“The text was flawed,” he said. “But I felt closure. It was a way to end a chapter and move forward with the real work of reconciliation.”
On the flight home from Canada, the pope confirmed to reporters that while he hadn’t initially used the term, what occurred in the residential schools amounted to “genocide.”
Francis’s commitment to reconciliation extended beyond Canada. He later repudiated the centuries-old Doctrine of Discovery — papal decrees that had justified colonisation and the seizure of Indigenous lands. For Behn-Tsakoza, this marked a powerful moment of change.
“To have gone from learning about this doctrine in high school to seeing the pope rescind it — it showed we can do big things when we’re given a voice,” she said.
Yet, questions remain about what comes next — particularly for Indigenous Australians. Pope Francis never visited Australia to apologise for the Church’s role in the Stolen Generations, although Pope John Paul II expressed “deep regret” in 2001.
Esteemed Northern Territory Elder Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann, whose sister was taken from their family, said she still hopes for a formal apology.
“It would be lovely for them to apologise to all of us,” she said. “It wasn’t just in the Territory. It was all around Australia.”
Despite the pain, she holds deep respect for Pope Francis and the steps he took toward healing.
