Indigenous groups welcome the news that Pope Francis plans to visit Canada this summer following his apology last month for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in residential schools.
The Vatican said Friday that the pontiff will stop in Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut, and that the capitals of Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit should serve as travel bases from July 24 to 29.
The Sixth Confederation is working with the Holy See to plan a visit to the area, Grand Chief George Arkand said in a statement.
Edmonton is part of Treaty 6, which covers central Alberta and Saskatchewan.
“I recognize the impact that the pope’s visit will have in Treaty 6 on survivors, their families and communities,” Arkand said. “Prayer prayers are with the survivors – I hope we are on the path to healing and the truths of the survivors will be confirmed by this historic visit to our territories.”
Approximately 150,000 indigenous children have been forced to attend residential schools, and more than 60 percent of schools are run by the Catholic Church.
On April 1, after several days of meetings with groups of first nations, Inuit and mestizos in the Vatican, Pope Francis apologized for the abominable behavior of church members attending boarding schools. He also said he would visit Canada.
“I want to tell you with all my heart: I am very sorry,” Francis said in Italian in front of a room of nearly 200 indigenous delegates. “And I join my brothers, the Canadian bishops, in your apology.”
Indigenous delegates told the pope that they expected an apology from Canada. They later said they believed a fuller apology would come during his visit.
The Metis National Council welcomed the announcement and reiterated the need for a papal apology, as well as a commitment to action in the field of truth, reconciliation, justice and healing.
President Cassidy Karen said the council had not been consulted on the choice of location.
“We hope that the Vatican will work closely with us in a spirit of reconciliation to ensure that there are adequate resources for all and all survivors who wish to attend,” Caron said in a statement.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said the Vatican had chosen the three cities based on the length of the trip, Canada’s vast size and the health of the 85-year-old pontiff.
Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton, general travel coordinator for the conference, said the pope is limited in the way he can travel. He can no longer ride helicopters and cannot be in a vehicle for more than an hour. He must also rest between events.
Despite his limitations, Francis is expected to travel to a former apartment building.
The selected cities are distributed and give indigenous peoples across the country more opportunities to see the pope, Smith said.
The archbishop added that a formal program with indigenous partners is to be developed and the trip will be another important step in healing and reconciliation.
Crown and Indigenous Relations Minister Mark Miller said it was important for Pope Francis to hear the survivors directly.
“You cannot develop a policy – especially on these very, very painful issues for which you are responsible – in a vacuum, in a cabinet or in St. Peter’s (the basilica),” he said. “Hearing directly from survivors offers not only an opportunity for apology and retribution, but also to develop better practices on how to move forward.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement that the visit would not have been possible without the “courage and determination of survivors, indigenous leaders and young people who shared their stories” last month.
Many indigenous leaders have called on Francis to visit Kamloops, British Columbia, where the discovery of unmarked graves in a former housing school has sparked calls around the world for justice and transparency.
The Indian Residential Schools Health Support Program has a hotline to help survivors of residential schools and their relatives who have suffered trauma from recalling past violence. The number is 1-866-925-4419.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 13, 2022.
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If you are a former student at a housing school in distress or have been affected by the housing school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Housing Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419 or the Indian Housing School. school Toll-free telephone line of the Survivors Society at 1-800-721-0066.
Additional mental health support and indigenous resources are available here.
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