After delivering a speech calling for unity and healing at Quebec City’s Citadel on Wednesday night, Pope Francis will celebrate mass in a basilica before an audience of 2,000 this morning.
The Mass will be broadcast on large screens outside the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and on the Plains of Abraham at 10am, as well as in a number of cinemas in the province.
The basilica, a national shrine with high vaulted ceilings, is located near the banks of the St. Lawrence River, 35 kilometers northeast of Quebec City.
Saint Anne, in religious tradition the grandmother of Jesus, is especially important to Inu communities because grandmothers often deliver messages between households, said Andre Paul, who is Inu from Pessamite in Quebec’s North Shore region and volunteers at the basilica from almost 30 years years.
Pope Francis recognized the importance of St. Anna during his pilgrimage to Lac Ste. Anne in Alberta on Tuesday, using the Cree word for grandmother.
“Thinking of your kokum, I also remember my own grandmother. From her I first received the message of faith and learned that the gospel is transmitted through loving care and the wisdom of life,” he said.
Pope Francis sprinkled holy water as he blessed the crowd during the annual pilgrimage event at Lac Ste. Anne, Alta. Tuesday. (Nathan Dennett/The Canadian Press)
In a speech Wednesday in Quebec City, the pope said he wanted to express “deep shame and sorrow” for the school system in Canada, in which “local Catholic institutions had a part.”
While not condemning the Catholic Church as a whole and its role in creating this system, Francis raised the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, saying it would inspire a commitment from Catholic communities to promote indigenous cultures.
He used the Canadian flag’s maple leaf as a symbol of multiculturalism and cited the exhortation he wrote in 2020, “Beloved Amazon,” acknowledging that “colonization is not over.”
“Today there are also countless forms of ideological colonization that collide with the reality of life, stifle people’s natural attachment to their values and try to eradicate their traditions, history and religious ties,” Francis said.
Where to watch the table
People line up to get on a bus heading to the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. There will be no parking or vehicular access to the Basilica on the day of Mass. (Emily Warren/CBC)
Seats in the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré are reserved for indigenous participants, delegations from dioceses of Eastern Canada and some government officials. The planning committee for the Pope’s visit acknowledged residential school survivors will get front row seats to the event.
About 10,000 seats will be placed outside the sanctuary, with the liturgy broadcast there on huge screens. Two thousand of these seats are for the general public, but all tickets have already been snapped up.
Olivia Munoz, whose grandfather was Mohawk from Brantford, Ontario, came from Los Angeles to represent a family that had experience in boarding schools.
“We’re like the third generation and we’re feeling the effects of what happened to them,” she said. “It was a topic we only heard talked about once and that was it. But I feel the pain. I feel their pain.”
Olivia Munoz, third from left, brought pictures of her deceased grandparents to try to heal. (Jennifer Yoon/CBC)
The Assembly of First Nations of Quebec is responsible for ensuring a fair distribution of seats among the province’s indigenous communities. Natives wishing to participate in the event had to contact a representative of their nation to secure a place.
Members of the Canadian military rehearse an arrival ceremony ahead of Pope Francis’ visit to the Citadelle de Quebec on Wednesday in Quebec City. (John Locher/Associated Press)
The planning committee for the papal visit to Quebec is asking those without tickets to avoid the area and instead watch the Mass on the Plains of Abraham, where the service will be broadcast on huge screens for everyone to watch.
Quebec City will have special seating for people with reduced mobility who wish to watch the event on the plains. People in this situation should call 418-641-6050 to reserve a seat.
CBC News Network will broadcast the liturgy during a special program hosted by Andrew Chang. It will be possible to watch CBC live on a number of different platforms, including CBC TV, the CBC News app and CBC Gem.
The Mass is also being streamed live on the Church’s website, which will have a live translation of the event in 12 local languages and will post it on its Vimeo channel afterwards.
The Mass will be held in Spanish, the Pope’s native language, but there will be English and French subtitles on the outdoor screens.
Ten Guzzo cinemas will also bring live shows to the table. Admission is free, but theaters suggest you reserve your ticket online and ask people to arrive 30 to 45 minutes before the 10am start time
At the screenings, communion will be given to those who wish.
Support is available for anyone affected by their dorm experience or the latest reports.
A national Indian school crisis line has been set up to provide support for ex-students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.
Mental health counseling and crisis support are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness Hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or via online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
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