Front Burner

Why won't the Pope apologize for residential schools?

The calls for Pope Francis to fully apologize for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential schools, including the one in Kamloops, B.C., where unmarked burial sites have purportedly been found, continue to grow. Why won’t he? Columnist Michael Coren, who’s covered the church for decades, explains.
Pope Francis speaks from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square at The Vatican to a crowd of faithful and pilgrims gathered for the Sunday Angelus noon prayer, Sunday, June 6, 2021. (Domenico Stinellis/The Associated Press)

After the discovery of what are believed to be the unmarked burial sites of children's remains at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, we heard apologies from individual dioceses on their role in Canada's residential school. On the weekend, the Pope offered a statement that expressed sadness, but stopped short of a definitive apology. Today on Front Burner, Anglican cleric, columnist and former Catholic Michael Coren on why that is.