The revelation was announced by representatives from the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, who confirmed that the bodies had been buried on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.

Now they’re demanding answers – and a formal apology from the Catholic Church. So far, however, the Church has declined to comment.

How did this tragedy occur? And was the Church responsible?

Indigenous children were routinely removed from their families by the Canadian government and forced to attend such English-speaking “reformation” schools throughout the the 19th and 20th centuries (and this following decades of attempts at forced assimilation by earlier colonists and missionaries).

According to community members, this particular school was operated by the Catholic Church and became notorious for children being sent to its grounds, only to never return.

Investigations were eventually conducted decades afterward but were hampered by the Church’s refusal to release records from that time. Early estimates had put the number of missing children at around 50, and it was widely suspected the Church knew about the deaths and sought to cover them up.

First Nation members were shocked and outraged when a recent underground radar sweep revealed the presence of at least 215 bodies in total.

It’s no surprise that the Catholic Church has its share of secrets, but this latest revelation is especially disturbing.

Critics have long been calling for the Church to atone for the sins of its past, insisting that Pope Francis and Vatican leaders need to make a more serious effort to reconcile the many injustices which have taken place under the institution’s watch. Those calls have only become louder now.

What is your reaction?