Pope Francis apologizes for residential schools: "I ask for God's forgiveness"

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Pope Francis delivered a formal apology on Friday at the Vatican for the grave harm caused by Canada's harrowing residential school system.

He made the apology before a live-streamed audience, with more than 170 Indigenous survivors, elders, knowledge keepers, youth and community leaders. He said he was "deeply grieved" by the stories of abuse, hardship and discrimination he heard throughout the week following meetings with Métis, Inuit and Assembly of First Nations representatives.

“All this made me feel two things very strongly — indignation and shame,” he said before a packed room at the Vatican. “Indignation, because it is not right to accept evil, and even worse to grow accustomed to evil as if it were an inevitable part of the historical process."

“All these things are contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. For the deplorable conduct of these members of the Catholic Church, I ask for God’s forgiveness and I want to say to you with all my heart: I am very sorry.”

The Pope also said he joined his "brothers" in the room, six members of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, in asking for forgiveness of Indigenous people as well.