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U.S. Catholic Bishops Apologize Friday Morning for Boarding School Abuses, Approve New Outreach

Jun 14, 2024, 04:23 PM

U.S. Catholic bishops issued a formal apology on Friday morning for the church’s role in operating Indian boarding schools, where pervasive sexual abuse by priests was documented. The apology acknowledges the history of trauma inflicted on Native Americans, including the rape and molestation of children who were taken from their homes by the U.S. government and forced to live at these remote boarding schools. In addition to the apology, the bishops approved new outreach guidelines aimed at ministering to Indigenous Catholics and reinvigorating the ministry. The new guidelines are intended to assure Indigenous communities that they do not need to feel torn between their Native identity and their Catholic faith.