Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI apologized on Wednesday for the abuse and "deplorable conduct" of some church members at Canadian schools that aboriginals were forced to attend.
The pontiff expressed his sorrow during a meeting with former students and representatives of the native Canadians, telling them acts of abuse can never be tolerated by society.
From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 Indian children in Canada were made to attend state-funded Christian schools as an effort to assimilate them into Canadian society. Nearly three-quarters of the 130 schools were run by Catholic missionary congregations.
The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse in the schools was rampant, and has apologized and offered compensation. Many students recall being beaten for speaking their native languages and losing touch with their parents and customs.
"What we wanted the pope to say to us was that he was sorry and ... that he deeply felt for us," said Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations. "We heard that very clearly today."
On Wednesday, a group of victims attended the pope's general audience in St. Peter's Square and later met with the pope privately to share their stories and concerns, the Vatican said in a statement.
"Given the sufferings that some indigenous children experienced in the Canadian residential school system, the Holy Father expressed his sorrow at the anguish caused by the deplorable conduct of some members of the church and he offered his sympathy and prayerful solidarity," the statement said.
"His Holiness emphasized that acts of abuse cannot be tolerated in society," it said, adding that the pope was praying that the victims would heal and move forward "with renewed hope."
"The coming to Rome was a high point" on the road to reconciliation, said Archbishop of Winnipeg James Weisgerber, the head of Canada's bishops' conference. "It's a long journey and the church is committed to be with the" native Canadians.
Out of a delegation of 40, five Indian and five church representatives met privately with the pope, who addressed them with off-the-cuff remarks in Italian and English, Weisgerber said at a news conference.
Fontaine, who himself suffered abuse at one of the schools, related that the pope said the situation had caused him "personal anguish" - an expression of suffering that "gives us the comfort we are seeking."
The native Canadians brought blankets, pipes, moccasins and a gift of an eagle feather, one of the highest honors in aboriginal culture. Some of the items were left at the Vatican while others were returned after being blessed by the pontiff.
The aim of the residential school system was to isolate the native Canadians from the influence of their homes and culture, which the government at the time considered inferior to mainstream Canadian society.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a formal apology in Parliament last year, calling the treatment of children at the schools a sad chapter in the country's history. He said the policy of forced assimilation was wrong, had caused great harm and had no place in the country.
Canada has also offered compensation, part of a lawsuit settlement between the government, churches and the approximately 90,000 surviving students that amounted to billions of dollars being transferred to aboriginal communities.
The Catholic Church alone paid some $79 million, the Canadian bishops' conference said.
The United, Presbyterian and Anglican churches have already apologized for their roles in the abuse.
In addition to the government apology and compensation, a Canadian truth and reconciliation commission will also examine government policy and take testimony from survivors. The goal is to give survivors a forum to tell their stories and educate Canadians about a grim period in the country's history.