US Catholic Bishops Apologize for Role in Indigenous Boarding School Abuses

The formal apology acknowledges decades of trauma inflicted on Native American children through forced assimilation and abuse.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the apology during their spring assembly in Louisville, Kentucky.
The document cites historical trauma from boarding schools, epidemics, and national policies but avoids specifics on sexual abuse.
Indigenous communities have long sought accountability for the abuses, which included physical and sexual assaults.
The apology follows Pope Francis's similar acknowledgment of the church's role in Canadian residential schools in 2022.
Native American leaders appreciate the gesture but call for further actions, including a direct apology from the Pope.