Pope Francis made a today to the delegations of Indigenous people who met with him this week .
His statement included the words 鈥淚 am very sorry,鈥� and .
As a white settler theologian, it is not for me to say what the apology means to those to whom it was addressed. But as a scholar who studies , and their place in processes of reconciliation, I note there are significant shortcomings to the Pope鈥檚 statement.
Abuse and criminal actions
There are several kinds of wrongs associated with residential schools. There were by individuals who worked in these institutions. Those in authority . And the residential school system advanced an assimilationist policy.
Individual criminal responsibility and general institutional responsibility may also overlap. The many and in the schools speak to the wrongs and traumatic legacies of these institutions.
Pope Francis most clearly addressed the 鈥� about which he expressed sorrow and shame. He also acknowledged the painful experiences of those who shared their stories with him.
The Pope did not acknowledge that the church as an institution embraced assimilationist policy in its decision to run the schools.
Lack of clarity
As is unfortunately common in many church apology statements, when those who utter the apology use the , it鈥檚 unclear who was the agent of the actions in question.
Pope Francis spoke about 鈥渁 colonization that lacked respect for you,鈥� and acknowledged that 鈥済reat harm was done to your identity and your culture.鈥� But who was responsible? He spoke about 鈥渁ttempts to impose a uniformity鈥� to which 鈥済reat numbers of children fell victim鈥� that were based on 鈥減rograms devised in offices.鈥� But which offices?
The Pope positions the church as being on the side of outrage and sorrow for this colonization 鈥� 鈥渟adly, this colonial mentality remains widespread鈥� 鈥� and as a partner in overcoming it, rather than as an active agent of its perpetration.
While Pope Francis鈥檚 denunciations of settler colonization are welcome and significant, and indeed the Catholic Church ought to be a partner in undoing it, an apology should offer clarity. Clarity is needed regarding the responsibility of the institution on whose behalf he speaks.
Church as agent of harm
On an intuitive and experiential level, the Catholic Church as an institution was an agent of harm. But Pope Francis has avoided saying this.
In this regard, there may be a mismatch between what survivors and the wider public expect of an apology and how the Pope has framed his message.
Since the , there has been an active debate within Catholic theology about whether the church itself, understood as the Body of Christ, can be the agent of sin, or whether it鈥檚 only individual members (including leaders) who sin.
Many Catholic apologies make the distinction that it was individual members who did wrong rather than the institution. An analogy sometimes used is that who regrets what her children have done.
Following this analogy, a mother can try to repair what her children have done, although everyone knows the mother didn鈥檛 actually commit the offence. While this position can be .
A church that is sinless by definition is an abstraction that is unconnected from experience. Several the church itself is sinful.
Unless the church itself acknowledges this, how can it change in order to cease doing harm and be an agent of healing?
Ambiguous language
This apology seems to follow this pattern in using ambiguous language on whether the church has acknowledged its complicity.
While Pope Francis鈥檚 words may be reported and received as an acknowledgement of church complicity, a careful reading of the words suggest otherwise.
In addition to the language of apology 鈥� a language which the church is not accustomed to speaking 鈥� the Pope used more traditional theological terms such as 鈥減ardon鈥� and 鈥渇orgiveness.鈥� The danger is that these terms can undermine what an apology is meant to accomplish.
To ask God鈥檚 forgiveness, as he did, might imply that it is been granted and everyone can move on. To ask to be pardoned by those he was speaking to may place a burdensome expectation on them to reciprocate by granting it.
Pope Benedict 齿痴滨鈥檚 private in 2009 to Phil Fontaine, then national chief of the Assembly of First Nations and a residential school survivor, was often reported as an apology.
Fontaine has he felt pressure to acknowledge and accept it as a definitive apology, even though it was not.
An apology should be made in a ritually appropriate way, which will vary for every case. Survivors to make an apology in Canada. Today, the Pope indicated his intention to come to Canada in the near future and continue his 鈥渃loseness.鈥�
Definitive apology?
While I understand Pope Francis was moved to say something this week, for the sake of reconciliation I hope this was not his definitive apology.
In his April 1 statement, Pope Francis also said: 鈥淚 will be happy to benefit again from meeting you when I visit鈥� your lands, and, 鈥淚 think with joy 鈥� of the great veneration that many of you have for Saint Anne, the grandmother of Jesus. This year I would like to be with you on those days.鈥� The feast of St. Anne .
The Truth and Reconciliation urges the Pope to apologize for the church鈥檚 role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit and 惭茅迟颈蝉 children in Catholic-run residential schools and to do so in Canada.
Such an apology will need to acknowledge the complicity of the Catholic Church, and do so on Indigenous land. Pope Francis鈥檚 closing comments about humility and the fruitfulness of the humiliation of the church are helpful sentiments.
In Rome, in an ornate Vatican hall, the Pope spoke on his terms. In the spirit of humility, the next statement should be made in a setting chosen by those he will address.
An apology can . It puts a particular narrative on record and implies specific commitments for the future. It can be a recognizable and public reference point for the ongoing work of truth and reconciliation. I hope Pope Francis continues to reflect on what he has heard this week, and prepares to come to Canada to make a more definitive acknowledgement of the church鈥檚 complicity.
If you are an Indian Residential School survivor, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Jeremy M. Bergen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
