Historic apology from pope to Canada’s indigenous

STORY: Pope Francis has made a historic apology to Canada’s indigenous peoples.

“For the deplorable behavior of those members of the Catholic Church, I ask forgiveness from God and I would like to tell you from the bottom of my heart that I am very pained and I join my brother bishops from Canada in apologizing to you.”

He apologized for the Catholic Church's role in residential schools, where indigenous children suffered abuse at institutions that sought to erase their culture.

Hundreds have been discovered in unmarked graves.

It comes after a week of meetings with indigenous leaders at the Vatican.

It was a historic moment that many had been waiting for.

INUIT COMMUNITY PRESIDENT, NATAN OBED: "Behind the cover-ups, behind the indifference over a hundred years, behind the lies, behind the lack of justice, this pope, Pope Francis, decided to go right through it and decided to speak words that First Nations, Inuit and Metis have been longing to hear for decades."

Canada’s residential schools operated between 1831 and 1996.

Their stated aim was to assimilate indigenous children.

About 150,000 were taken from their homes.

They were subjected to abuse, rape and malnutrition.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015 called it “cultural genocide.”

Most of the schools were run by the Catholic church on behalf of the Canadian government.

Indigenous leaders call Francis’ apology a first step.

METIS NATIONAL COUNCIL PRESIDENT, CASSIDY CARON: “I know how important those words are going to be to our survivors back at home, which is why we will continue to advocate for Pope Francis to share those words, those sentiments, what he has learned and what he has heard from us back on our homelands."

Francis said he hopes to make the trip this July.