Ingrid Inga News Today

The Catholic Church is far from the only Christian denomination to have played a role in the abuse and cultural erasure of Indigenous people. As the Pope makes his historic "penitential pilgrimage" of Canada, other churches may provide some inspiration on how to move forward with reconciliation.

During a special worship service at its general synod, the Church of Sweden formally apologized to the Sámi people on November 24 for centuries of “mistreatment and complacency.” Non-Sámi and Sámi people, as well as Lutheran church leaders from neighboring Nordic countries, encircled a flame at the front of the Cathedral of Uppsala as Archbishop Antje Jackelén referenced the

The Church of Sweden made an official apology to the Sámi people on 24 November, just weeks after two new truth commissions were set up to inquire into historical injustices against the Sámi in Sweden and Finland. Although different, these processes are related, and the challenges are similarly challenged by the very results of assimilation policies, the authors observe.

An apology service this week marked a major step forward for reconciliation in Sweden, where the Indigenous Sámi people continue to fight for self-determination and recognition of past wrongs committed by church and state.