June 14 (Reuters) - U.S. Catholic bishops offered an apology to Native Americans on Friday for the church's role in inflicting trauma on their communities and adopted new guidelines for ministering to indigenous Catholics.
The new policies, approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, call on church leaders to set up listening sessions with local Native leaders, incorporate tribal customs into sacred rites and improve access to Catholic universities and other educational opportunities for Native Americans, among other directives.
"The Church recognizes that it has played a part in traumas experienced by Native children," the document said, saying "these tragedies" led to addiction, domestic abuse, abandonment and neglect that harmed families.