QUEBEC –
Pope Francis on Wednesday expressed shame and sorrow for the role Catholic institutions played in a “deplorable” school system that sought to deprive indigenous people of their language, culture and worldview.
Speaking at Quebec City’s historic Citadel, Francis asked for forgiveness for the harm done by assimilation policies carried out in schools.
“In this wretched system promoted by the government authorities of the time, which separated many children from their families, various local Catholic institutions were involved,” Francis said.
“For this reason I express my deep shame and sorrow, and together with the bishops of this country I renew my plea for forgiveness for the injustice done by so many Christians to the indigenous population.”
It is the second papal apology on Canadian soil for Francis, who is in the middle of a six-day tour he described as a “pilgrimage of repentance.” On Monday, he asked for forgiveness for the “evil done by so many Christians against the indigenous people” during a speech in Maskwatzis, Alta.
The pope left Edmonton Wednesday morning and arrived mid-afternoon in Quebec City, traveling to the Citadel of Quebec for private meetings with Governor General Mary Simon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In his speech, Francis said his time in Canada had left him with a “firm desire” to move forward toward reconciliation and help heal the deep wounds of the past.
In an address delivered in Spanish and translated into several languages, he said the church was committed to responding “in an appropriate manner” to the calls of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which investigated abuses committed in dormitories and issued recommendations for dealing with it and “to recognize the rights of indigenous peoples”.
He added that the Church was committed to promoting indigenous culture through “specific and appropriate forms of spiritual accompaniment that include attention to their cultural traditions, customs, languages and educational processes” in the spirit of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Before his address, the Pope received a wild turkey feather and sweetgrass from a Huron-Wendat elder, Raymond Gross-Louis.
Simon, speaking just before the pope, said the pope’s visit was an important step toward further dialogue and action that would lead to true reconciliation.
“We really look forward to hearing more about the church’s future actions to continue this important work,” said Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General, who delivered her speech in English, French and Inuktitut.
The second apology from the pope was a request from some indigenous leaders in Quebec who said they deserved to hear the pope ask for forgiveness on their native land.
On the Plains of Abraham, however, where Francis greeted members of the public later Wednesday from his popemobile, those gathered before the speech expressed mixed opinions about whether the apology would satisfy them.
There was a heavy police presence on the grounds as concerts and other artistic performances took place throughout the afternoon. Although the venue has a capacity of over 100,000 people, the crowd that had gathered just over an hour before the Pope’s scheduled arrival was only a fraction of that number.
For Omer Saint-Onge, a school survivor, the pope’s visit represented a “small step” in the healing journey.
But St-Onge, who hails from the Innu community of Uashat-Maliotenam on Quebec’s north shore, said before the pope’s address that he was hoping for more than just an apology.
“It’s time for the Pope to decide to return to us artifacts, objects that were taken from us and that are all in the Vatican and in the churches, documents of young people who died,” said Saint-Onge, whose birth name is Wapan Ushekatok .
Fabien Jobert, also from Washat-Maliotenam, said he came to honor the memories of residential school survivors, including his grandmother and aunts.
“I expect an apology from the pope,” he said in an interview on the Plains of Abraham before the pope’s arrival. “I’d like to hear him do one on behalf of the church instead of just certain actors.”
Among those present at the site was a group of indigenous marchers who walked 275 kilometers from the site of the former Pointe-Bleue school in the Innu community of Mashteuiatsh in the Saguenay region of Quebec. The group, which started walking last Thursday, was greeted with cheers when it arrived on stage.
The Pointe-Bleue institution was the last of the federally funded, church-run schools to close in Quebec in 1991. Chantal Niquay, who attended the school, described the march as “liberating” and said it helped her heal from the scars of the past.
“I had my children young and I wasn’t completely there for them, but today I understand why. We give each other so much love,” said the 43-year-old.
After visiting the Plains of Abraham, the Pope is due to go to the residence of the Archbishop of Quebec, where he plans to stay during his stay in the province.
On Thursday, Francis will celebrate mass at the Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre shrine, east of the city, before attending vespers with church officials at the cathedral-basilica of Notre Dame de Quebec.
On Friday, he is due to make a brief stop in Iqaluit before returning to the Vatican.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 27, 2022.
— With files from Frederic Lacroix-Couture in Quebec City and Morgan Lowrie in Montreal
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