First Nations meet with pope over Canada school abuses

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has welcomed a First Nations delegation to the Vatican. They are seeking an apology for the Catholic Church’s role in running Canada’s notorious residential schools for Indigenous children. Francis met privately for two hours with the representatives of the Assembly of First Nations, following his meetings earlier in the week with delegations from the Metis and Inuit communities of Canada. The trip was years in the making but gained greater impetus last year after the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves outside some of the residential schools. Francis is to meet again with all three groups Friday and deliver a speech.