Residential school survivors wearing traditional ribbon skirts and an elder holding a feather were part of an Indigenous delegation that gathered Friday for a private audience with Pope Francis in Quebec City on the final day of his Canadian tour.
In opening remarks to the meeting, the pontiff told the indigenous delegation that he had come to Canada in a “spirit of penance” to apologize for the wrongs inflicted on them by “not just a few Catholics.” .
“I have come as a pilgrim, despite my physical limitations, to take new steps with you and for you,” he told the group seated before him.
“I do this so that progress can be made in the search for truth, so that healing and reconciliation processes can continue, and so seeds of hope can continue to be sown for future generations — Indigenous and non-natives — who want to live together, in harmony, like brothers and sisters. »
The 25-person Indigenous delegation included survivors and First Nations representatives from across eastern Canada, some of whom could be seen presenting gifts to the pope as the private audience began.
François said he was enriched by the stories of the Indigenous peoples he encountered in Canada.
“I can truly say that while I came to be with you, it was your life and your experiences, the Indigenous realities of these lands, that touched me, stayed with me and will always be a part of me,” he pointed out.
He cited the example of three women, including Kateri Tekakwitha, the first indigenous saint, as an inspiration to follow the path of reconciliation.
Earlier Friday, Francis began his day with a private meeting with members of his religious order, the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits.
Early in the afternoon, the pontiff’s plane took off for Iqaluit, Nunavut, his final destination in the country.
He is to give private audiences with other residential school survivors. There will also be an outdoor meeting with young and old before his return flight to the Vatican.
During the tour, which included stops in Alberta, the pontiff apologized for the role played by Roman Catholic institutions in the residential school system.
Some said his apology didn’t go far enough because he didn’t make it clear that the Catholic Church, and not just a few bad people, was responsible for the abuses at the residential schools.
People have also pointed out that he should have overturned the Doctrine of Discovery—dating back to the 15th century—that justified the colonization of North America.
During an evening prayer service on Thursday, Francis acknowledged the sexual abuse of “minors and vulnerable people”, but he did not specifically say that sexual abuse had occurred in boarding schools.