Rome: Pope Francis says the abuses Indigenous Peoples faced while being forced to attend residential schools amounted to genocide. The pontiff made the comment Friday to reporters on his flight from Iqaluit back to Rome following his six-day tour of Canada.

Pope apologized multiple times throughout the week for the role the Roman Catholic Church played in the institutions. He asked for forgiveness for abuses committed by some members of the church as well as for cultural destruction and forced assimilation.

He also addressed the issue of resigning from the papacy, repeatedly prompted by the journalists' questions, explaining that for the time being, he does not intend to resign even though he considers it a possibility. At the start of the press conference, Pope Francis thanked the journalists flying with him: “Good evening and thank you for your accompaniment, for your work here. I know you have worked hard and I thank you for the company, thank you.”

The following is a working translation of the Pope's conversation with journalists:

Jessica Ka'nhehsíio DEER (CBC RADIO - CANADA INDIGENOUS)

As a descendant of a residential school survivor, I know that survivors and their families want to see concrete actions following your apology, including the rejection of the "doctrine of discovery." Considering that this is still enshrined in the Constitution and legal systems in Canada and the United States, where indigenous peoples continue to be defrauded of their lands and deprived of power, was it not a missed opportunity to make a statement to this effect during your trip to Canada?

Pope Francis

I didn’t understand the second part of the question, could you explain what you mean by doctrine of discovery?

Jessica Ka'nhehsíio DEER

When I talk to indigenous people, they say that when people came to colonize America, there was this doctrine of discovery that somehow promoted the idea that the indigenous peoples of the new countries were inferior to the Catholics. This is how Canada and the United States became "countries."

Thank you for the question. I think this is a problem of all colonialism. Everyone, even to this day: today's ideological colonizations have the same pattern. Whoever doesn't enter its path is inferior. But I want to expand on this. They were considered not only inferior: some somewhat crazy theologian even wondered if they had a soul. When John Paul II went to Africa, to the port where the slaves were boarded [Gorée Island, the Door of No Return], he offered a sign so that we would come to understand the drama, the criminal drama: those people were thrown into the ship, in dire conditions, and then they became slaves in America. It is true that there were voices that spoke out, like Bartolomeo de las Casas, for example or Peter Claver, but they were the minority. The consciousness of human equality came slowly. And I say consciousness because in the unconscious there is still something. We have - allow me to say it - a somewhat colonialist attitude of reducing their culture to ours. It is something that comes to us from a developed way of life, our own, because of which we sometimes lose [discard] values that they have.

For example indigenous peoples have a great value, the value of harmony with Creation, and at least some people I know express that in the word vivere bene [good living]. That does not mean, as we westerners understand, to spend it well or to live la dolce vita [the good life]: no. 'Good living' means to cherish harmony, and that to me, is the great value of the original peoples. Harmony. We are used to reducing everything to the head - Instead, the personality of the original peoples, I am speaking generally, who know how to express themselves in three languages: that of the head, that of the heart and that of the hands. But all together, and they know how to have this language with Creation. Then, this accelerated progressivism of the somewhat exaggerated, somewhat neurotic development that we have, right? I'm not speaking against development, development is good. What is not good is the anxiety over development, development, development ... You see, one of the things that our overdeveloped, commercial civilization has lost is the capacity for poetry: indigenous peoples have that poetic capacity. I'm not idealizing. Then, this doctrine of colonization, which it's true, it's bad, it's unjust, and is still used today. It the same, maybe, with silk gloves, but it is still used today. For example, some bishops from some countries have said to me, "But, our country, when they ask for credit from an international organization, they put conditions on us, even legislative, colonialist conditions. To give you credit they make you change your way of life a little bit."

Going back to the colonization of America—let’s say that of the Americas, that of the British, the French, the Spanish, the Portuguese--there has always been a danger, a mentality of "we are superior and these indigenous people don't matter," and that is serious. That's why we have to work on what you say: go back and heal, let's put it that way, what was done wrong, in the knowledge that even today the same colonialism exists. Think, for example, about one case, which is universal, and allow me to say so. Take the case of the Rohingya, in Myanmar: they are considered inferior, they have no right to citizenship. Even today.

Brittany HOBSON (THE CANADIAN PRESS)

You often say that it is necessary to speak clearly, honestly, and with parrhesia [boldly]. You know that the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission described the residential school system as 'cultural genocide,' and then it was modified as genocide. The people who heard your words of apology this past week expressed their disappointment because the word genocide was not used. Would you use that term to say that members of the Church participated in genocide?

It's true, I didn't use the word because it didn't come to my mind, but I described the genocide and asked for forgiveness, pardon for this activity that is genocidal. For example, I condemned this too: taking away children, changing culture, changing mentality, changing traditions, changing a race, let's put it that way, an entire culture. Yes, genocide is a technical word. I didn't use it because it didn't come to my mind, but I described it… It's true, yes, yes, it's genocide. You can all stay calm about this. You can report that I said that it was genocide.

Maria Valentina ALAZRAKI CRASTICH (TELEVISA)

Pope Francis, we assume that this trip to Canada was also a test, a test regarding your health, for what you called this morning "physical limitations." So we would like to know -- after this week, what can you tell us about your future travels, do you want to continue traveling like this, would there be any travels that you cannot take because of these limitations or if you think that knee surgery might resolve the situation even more and permit you travel as before?

I don't know, I don't think I can continue with the same pace of the trips as before. I think that at my age and with this limitation, I have to spare myself a bit, to be able to serve the Church. But, on the other hand, I can also think about the possibility of stepping aside. With all honesty, this is not a catastrophe, it is possible to change Pope, it is possible to change, there is no problem! But I think I have to limit myself a bit with these exertions. Knee surgery for me is not an option in my case. The health care professionals say it is, but there is the whole problem of anesthesia. Ten months ago, I underwent more than six hours of anesthesia, and there are still traces. You don't play around, you don't mess around, with anesthesia. And that's why I think it is not entirely suitable. I will continue to make trips and be close to the people, because I think closeness is the way to serve. Beyond that, I do not have anything else to say. Let's hope. In Mexico, there is no visit foreseen yet, right?

Phoebe Natanson (ABC NEWS)

Sorry, Holy Father, I know you've had a lot of questions like this, but I wanted to ask, at this time, with your health difficulties and everything, has it occurred to you that it may be time to retire? Have you had any problems that have made you think about that? Have there been any difficult moments that made you think about this?

The door is open, it's a natural option, but until today I haven't knocked on that door. I haven't said it's going to go in that direction, I haven't felt the need to think about this possibility. But that doesn't mean that the day after tomorrow, I won't start thinking about it, right? But right now, sincerely, I am not. This trip has also been a bit of a test... it is true that trips shouldn't be taken in this condition, the style may have to be changed a bit, lessen them, pay off the debts of the trips that still have to be made, rearrange... But it will be the Lord who will say it. The door is open, that is true. And before I bid farewell, I would like to talk about something very important to me: the trip here to Canada was very much linked to the figure of St. Anne. I said some things about women, but especially about older women, mothers and grandmothers. And I emphasized one thing that is clear: faith must be transmitted in dialect, and - I said it clearly - the maternal dialect, the dialect of grandmothers, we received the faith in that female dialect form, and this is very important: the role of the woman in the transmission of faith and the development of faith. It is the mother or grandmother who teaches how to pray.

It is the mother or grandmother who explains the first things that the child does not understand about the faith. And I can say that this dialectal transmission of faith is feminine. Someone may say to me: but theologically how do you explain it? Because, I would say, [that] the one who transmits the faith is the Church, and the Church is a woman, the Church is bride, the Church is not male, the Church is woman. And we have to enter into that train of thought of the Church-woman, the Mother Church, which is more important than any masculine ministerial fantasy or any masculine power. The Mater Church, the Church's maternity, which is the image of the Mother of the Lord. In that sense, it is important to emphasize the importance of this maternal dialect in the transmission of the faith. I discovered this, for example, by reading, the martyrdom of the Maccabees. Two or three times it says that Mother enouraged them through her maternal dialect. Faith must be transmitted in dialect. And that dialect is spoken by women. This is the great joy of the Church, because the Church is woman, the Church is bride. This I wanted to say this clearly, with St. Anne in mind. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for listening, rest and have a good trip.