Noel Starblanket attended residential school in Lebret for 11 years. He says it would take 37 years to heal from that abuse.

“There was an Indian nun who spoke French, Cree and English and she had a strap that had a wire inside the strap and she would hit us with that,” said Starblanket.

“Those nuns, priests, brothers and Catholic teachers were always hitting and most of them were right handed. Most of them would hit them in your left ear. Now the hearing in my left ear is worse than in my right ear. (Today) I’ve been able to get on with my life. I’ve been able to recover. I’m well on my healing journey.”

When asked if an apology is needed from the Pope, Starblanket made his personal stance clear.

“I don’t need an apology or I don’t need anybody’s money to make me well, I did that for myself but at the same time, there are a lot of people that need help,” said Starblanket.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is defending the Pope’s response in deciding on apologizing for residential schools in Canada. It says the Catholic Church is a “decentralized” organize and the Pope cannot be held responsible for what others have done.

“I agree with the way the Pope is handling this in terms of waiting for an opportune time and also that he encourages in the local level initiatives to continue in Canada,” said Archbishop Richard Gagnon, who is also the Vice President of the CCCB.

“For the Church to hide behind its legal creations, the various legal congregations is a shame,” said former Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Canadian Senator Murray Sinclair.

“Those of us in the legal community can tell you easily that we have no difficulty looking behind corporate charades the Catholic Church has created in order to protect itself and its assets from legal actions and litigations such as those that were brought by the survivors of residential schools,” Sinclair added.

The Pope’s apology was one of 94 Calls to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report in 2015.

Archbishop Gagnon says in 2009, the previous Pope Benedict met with Indigenous leaders and residential school survivors, including Assembly of First Nations National Chief, Phil Fontaine.

“Then, Mr. Phil Fontaine said quote, ‘this visit with the Holy Father closes the circle of reconciliation. In the past, we received apologies from the Anglican, United, Presbyterian Churches and the Government of Canada for residential schools. Today his expression of understanding, acknowledgment and emotion by his Holiness on behalf of the Catholic Church closes the circle,’” said Archbishop Gagnon.

The CCCB says in a way, the Catholic Church has apologized in the way it is structured.

Starblanket says apology or not, the Church needs to take action to repair the generational damage that has been done.

“The education system is what took the language and the culture of Indigenous people away. It should be the education system and the church to restore that,” said Starblanket.

Pope Francis continues to encourage Bishops to lead the way in reconciliation and remains open to a future visit to Canada when the time is right.