SAINT-ANNE DE BEAUPRÉ, Que. –
For the first time since the start of a Canadian tour highlighted by apologies for the Catholic Church’s role in indigenous schools, Pope Francis on Thursday acknowledged sexual abuse of “minors and vulnerable people.”
Speaking at a prayer service at the Basilica-Cathedral of Notre Dame de Quebec in Quebec City, Francis said the church in Canada is on a new path after being devastated by “the evil committed by some of its sons and daughters.”
“I am thinking in particular of the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable people, crimes that require firm action and irreversible commitment,” he said in an address delivered in his native Spanish.
Francis apologized during his visit to Alberta and Quebec for the role Catholic institutions play in the indigenous school system — and until Thursday, he had made no mention of sexual abuse. However, he did not specifically say that sexual abuse occurred in residential schools.
He said the Christian community must never again allow itself to be “infected” by the idea that one culture is superior to another, repeating his plea for forgiveness. “The pain and shame we feel must become an occasion for conversion: never again!”
Francis received a standing ovation after his address from the invitation-only congregation, which included bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians and pastoral workers from across Canada.
Indigenous people have expressed a mix of hope and skepticism about the pope’s visit, with some saying they want to hear about the actions that will follow the pope’s historic apology.
Anishinaabe activist Sarayn Fox and her cousin Chelsea Brunel raised their fists Thursday morning as they held up a large banner reading “Repeal the Doctrine” at the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-des-Beaupres, just before a Mass led by Francis. The banner refers to the Doctrine of Discovery, which stems from a series of edicts known as papal bulls dating back to the 15th century.
In an interview after the service, Fox said that while some of the pope’s words during his Canadian trip were meaningful — even beautiful — “actions speak louder than words.”
The pope, she said, has failed to make clear that the entire religious organization, not just a few bad people, is responsible for abuses in schools. And he did not comment on the doctrine that is used to justify the colonization of lands that are thought to be uninhabited but are in fact home to indigenous peoples.
The women said they did not travel from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., planned to protest but changed their minds after being offended by what they saw as a lack of local representation and concern for survivors at Wednesday’s papal events.
“My experience in Quebec is that this whole event seems like no one has consulted with the local community,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like we’re part of it.”
The theme of the service was reconciliation, and the congregation was made up mostly of residential school survivors and other Indigenous people. During his homily, the pope used two biblical stories — that of Adam and Eve and that of two disciples haunted by failure after Jesus’ death — to illustrate the church’s “difficult and demanding path of healing and reconciliation.”
Chief Real McKenzie of the Matimekush-Lac John Innu Nation said he hoped the pope’s visit and his message would provide healing for some, but he acknowledged it had divided communities. “Some will accept it,” McKenzie said, but others will die without hearing what they consider a satisfactory answer.
Jackie Gull-Barney of the Waswanipi Cree tribe in northern Quebec said before the service that she hoped to find healing and peace from the pope’s visit.
Gull-Barney said her family was “torn in half” by residential schools after she and two of her siblings were sent to English-language schools in Ontario and two younger siblings learned French in Quebec schools.
She was pleased by the pope’s apology to the indigenous people in Maskwacis, Alta., which she said was “very humble and very sincere.” But she wants to know what concrete steps will follow.
“What will happen after the apology? she said. “Are there going to be programs and places we can go for help and assistance to keep going?”
Hundreds gathered outside the basilica in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre, Que., to listen to Francis lead the second mass of his Canadian tour, which he called a pilgrimage of repentance.
Organizers said many of the speakers who gave readings at Thursday’s service were local, and the pope’s cassock — the top garment worn by Roman Catholic priests during Mass — was specially designed by a local Huron-Wendat artist.
Many on the benches wore orange to represent the Every Child Matters movement – in memory of children lost in schools and survivors. Some attendees wore floral scarves, and elders in wheelchairs sat in a section to the left near the stage.
Louis Joe Bernard, a Mi’kmaq who hails from Nova Scotia, said the pope’s visit was emotional but useful. “I think we need God in our lives and with the Pope here, realizing, acknowledging the harm done to Aboriginal people, I think it’s good,” Bernard said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the pope’s trip to Canada was a “step toward healing,” but acknowledged that some local leaders want to see Francis go further.
“His Holiness’ message, the church’s message that this is the beginning of a process, is encouraging, has been helpful for many in their healing, but there is a lot of work to be done,” Trudeau told reporters in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre.
Francis is due to leave Quebec City on Friday and make a brief stop in Iqaluit before returning to the Vatican.
The Indian Schools Problem Resolution Health Support Program has a hotline to help school survivors and their relatives suffering from trauma caused by memories of past violence. The number is 1-866-925-4419.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 28, 2022.
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