Survivors of Canada’s residential school system who were present for Pope Francis’ apology Monday described the moment as historic and “bittersweet,” but said the highly anticipated mea culpa will only be meaningful if it’s followed by concrete action.
While presented as missionary work, the operation of residential schools by Catholics in Canada was actually an attempt to impose European culture on Canada’s Indigenous people, Pope Francis said.
The first step of Pope Francis’ “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada involved him returning two pairs of children’s moccasins.
Canada’s leading Catholic prelate has voiced hope Pope Francis’ visit to the country this week will strengthen efforts at reconciliation with Indigenous communities, and help “turn a page” in order to move forward together.
After a flight of more than 10 hours from Rome, Pope Francis landed in Edmonton and met briefly at the airport with Indigenous leaders, Canada’s governor general and prime minister before heading to the local seminary for a rest.
The synod process has only recently been completed at churches in the Diocese of Brooklyn, but it’s already bearing fruit at St. Andrew of Avellino Church in Flushing, as the parish administrator is taking action to show parishioners that he is taking their ideas seriously.
Pope Francis’ July trip to Canada was born out of his meetings with the nations’ Indigenous people and was planned around encounters with them, and if the pontiff’s words “have value elsewhere,” like throughout the Americas, all the better, said the director of the Vatican press office.
Catholic communicators need to use extra care and educational efforts to combat a situation where some media “become places of toxicity, hate speech and fake news,” Pope Francis said.
When Pope Francis travels to Canada to apologize to Indigenous communities for the way the Catholic Church joined efforts to uproot them from their traditional culture and spirituality, their traditions will be on full display.
Asking for prayers ahead of his visit to Canada July 24-29, Pope Francis described the trip as a “penitential pilgrimage” as part of a commitment to healing and reconciliation with the country’s Indigenous people.
