Trudeau says he can’t compel Pope to apologize for church’s residential schools

Ottawa: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confesses he can’t compel an apology from the Pope for the role of the Catholic Church in Canada’s residential school system. But Trudeau, unlike his predecessor in office, says he looks forward to raising the matter with the pontiff. Trudeau met for more than two hours Wednesday morning with leaders from five indigenous organizations, capping a week that saw the Truth and Reconciliation Commission deliver its final report on the legacy of residential schools. The commission made 94 “calls to action’’ towards reconciliation in a preliminary report last June, including an apology from the Pope, and the Liberals pledged to implement the entire report. That’s a sharp U-turn from the Conservative government of Stephen Harper, which declined to respond to last June’s preliminary find- ings while it awaited the unabridged version. The Conservatives never got the chance, losing office in October’s general election. But Harper did pass on an opportunity, just a week after the June release, to broach the subject with Pope Francis during a 10-minute audience at the Vatican in Rome. Trudeau didn’t express any reservations when asked about the papal apology Wednesday. But he did lower expectations. “I’m not going to pretend that it is my job to order other governments or other organizations to do anything,’’ he said in the House of Commons foyer, flanked by the five indigenous leaders. “But I certainly look forward to a constructive engagement where we can address this issue because, quite frankly, there are multiple levels of different organizations that have a role to recognize in this terrible part of Canada’s past. I look forward to having a conversation with His Holiness about this.’’