Francis issued the apology years after a Canadian-government-funded report said children had been physically and sexually abused at the mostly Catholic-run schools in the country.

Pope Francis met with Indigenous leaders and survivors of Canada's residential schools this week. He had expressed sorrow in the past on behalf of the church, but this is the first formal apology.

Gov. Steve Sisolak apologized on behalf of his state and promised to cooperate with an investigation of the federal government's past policies and oversight of Native American boarding schools.