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In a prepared statement, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde said it is “deeply disappointing” that Harper did not ask the Pope to apologize. “Today would have been a powerful and appropriate day to issue that invitation and it would help survivors in their healing journey.”

About 75,000 of the 150,000 aboriginal children who endured abuse at residential schools remain alive and are seeking ways to heal and reconcile with other Canadians. Bellegarde said some former residential school students will now conclude Harper doesn’t care about them.

In its report last week, the TRC recommended the Pope travel to Canada within the next year and issue an apology for the church’s role in the “spiritual, emotional, physical and sexual abuse” of aboriginal students in Catholic-run schools.

The commission said the apology could be similar to the one issued by then-Pope Benedict in 2010 to Irish victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy in that country.

The ostensible reason for Harper’s meeting with the Pope on Thursday was to invite him to Canada for the 150th anniversary of Confederation, in 2017. There was no indication from the Vatican whether the Pope would take the prime minister up on his offer.

The Holy Father granted Harper “an unusually short” audience of only 10 minutes, “with an interpreter present,” the pool reporter said.