Pope Francis has apologized for the conduct of some members of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada's residential school system, following a week of talks with First Nations, Inuit and Métis delegations, CBC Canada reports.

The apology came during an event at the Vatican, following a week of talks with First Nations, Inuit and Métis delegations.

Dene National Chief Gerald Antoine, one of the lead delegates, compared hearing the apology to the experience of walking through the snow and seeing fresh moose tracks.

"That is the feeling that I have, because there is a possibility," he said moments after the apology.

More than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools between the 1880s and 1996, and more than 60 per cent of the schools were run by the Catholic Church.

Prime Minister Justin called the apology a step forward "in acknowledging the truth of our past."