Pope Francis ends trip to Canada

Making his last stop on a penitential trip that drew mixed reviews from the Indigenous people he came to see, Pope Francis on Friday visited Iqaluit, a small city near the Arctic Circle where residential schools transformed life for the majority-Inuit population.

Francis offered apologies – personally and on behalf of “evil” individual missionaries, but not for the Church as a whole – for the cruelty of Canada’s residential schools. Most were run by Catholic entities.

Many Indigenous people said they had been moved by the pope’s long-sought visit – particularly given the 85-year-old’s frailty and immobility. But Indigenous leaders say they are still waiting for him to apologize for the Church as an institution.