Pope Francis apologises for Canada residential school harms

Pope Francis has apologised to a Canadian indigenous delegation for the Catholic Church's role in the country's residential school system.

The schools, operated for more than a century, were run as part of government policy to assimilate indigenous children and destroy their cultures.

The Roman Catholic Church in particular was responsible for operating up to 70% of residential schools.

The Pope said this caused him "pain and shame" and asked for God's forgiveness.

"For the deplorable behaviour of those members of the Catholic Church, I ask forgiveness from God and I would like to tell you from the bottom of my heart that I am very pained," he said, speaking in Italian at the Vatican.

"I join my brother Canadian bishops in apologising," he added.

The Pope also confirmed he would make a trip to Canada later this year to meet indigenous communities and to assist with reconciliation efforts.

The pontiff was speaking to the whole delegation after separate private meetings during the week with its First Nations, Métis and Inuit representatives.

The visit by the delegation was organised by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has apologised for the suffering experienced at residential schools.

During the lifetime of the schools, an estimated 150,000 children were taken from their homes.

Many were subjected to abuse, illness and malnutrition and an an official inquiry has called the residential schools system a central element of a policy of "cultural genocide".

Since last summer, thousands of unmarked graves, most believed to belong to former students, have been discovered at former school sites across the country.

Indigenous delegations unsuccessfully lobbied both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict for an apology. The latter issued a statement of regret in 2009, but without an acknowledgement of the church's wrongdoing.