Pope Francis on Sunday said he was pained by the discovery of the remains of 215 children at a former Catholic school for indigenous students in Canada and called for respect of the rights and culture of native peoples.
He urged Canadian political and religious leaders to "cooperate with determination" to shed light on the finding and to seek reconciliation and healing.
He stopped short of the direct apology that many Canadians had demanded, however, when speaking in St. Peter's Square.