a “penitential pilgrimage” to try to reconnect with the indigenous peoples

Pope Francis begins a week-long visit to Canada on Sunday evening. The leader of the Catholics goes to Edmonton, in the west of the country, then to Quebec before a final stage in the far north, not far from Greenland. This trip was organized with one objective: to try to reconcile the indigenous peoples of Canada, martyred by the State and the Catholic Church.

If the Church took time to recognize its responsibility, Canada began several years ago a work of memory on the subject. The Canadian government apologized in 2008. A report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in which the indigenous people participated, was published in 2015. The text contained 94 recommendations, including 60 for the government and four for the religious institution. In particular, there was talk of inviting the Pope to issue an official apology, but the Canadian bishops will not do so until six years later, in September 2021.

The most important awareness in Canada took place last summer, after the discovery of mass graves of Aboriginal children, residents of religious institutes. Churches are then burnt down. “Unfortunately, in Canada, acknowledged Pope Francis, many Christians, including some members of religious institutes, have contributed to policies of cultural assimilation which in the past have seriously harmed indigenous communities in various ways.”

“Today I come to make a penitential pilgrimage“explains the pope. He will visit very symbolic places on the lands of the natives. 150,000 children were forcibly assimilated, several thousand died in these Catholic boarding schools.