Pope Francis reiterated Thursday morning his wishes for reconciliation and rapprochement with indigenous peoples during a much-awaited mass that will have provoked uneven reactions.
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Moving and full of hope for some, insufficient for others, the homily delivered by the Holy Father before the 1,600 faithful inside the Basilica of Saint Anne did not contain any new apologies, but opened with the reconciliation ; a real outstretched hand.
Photo: AFP
Shortly before the start of this mass of reconciliation, two Aboriginal people unfurled a banner reading “Revoke the doctrine” in front of the altar and a few meters from the pope. Beyond the apologies pronounced by the pope, some are asking him to go further and repeal the papal decrees at the origin of the “doctrine of discovery”. This refers to 15th century papal edicts that authorized European powers to colonize non-Christian lands and peoples.
Speaking of the “scandal of evil […] in the flesh of our Indigenous brethren,” Pope Francis admitted to feeling “the bitterness” and “the weight of failure,” nonetheless inviting First Nations peoples to continue on their journey with the Church.
Photo: AFP
Willie Littlechild, Grand Cree Chief of Edmonton and residential school survivor, was attending mass at the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica.
“There is nothing worse in the face of the failures of life than to flee in order not to face them”, he underlined, words which resonated for the strong indigenous majority present, easily recognizable by their traditional clothes. elders and the imposing headdresses of the great chiefs who made up the front rows of the audience.
Mixed reactions
The lack of recognition of the role of the Church as an organization in the horrors of the residential schools came up again in the conclusions that some drew from this papal mass.
“There is still that line that is drawn between the burden that some Christians carry […] and the responsibility of the Roman Catholic Church in the entire implementation of the Indian residential school system”, regretted Ghislain Picard of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador.
Arrived on board the popemobile around 9:20 a.m., the Holy Father treated himself to a reduced crowd by parading through the some 5,000 people gathered around the basilica, while barely a few hundred people followed the whole distance on the Plains of Abraham.
A powerful and solemn moment
Through the crowd, hundreds of Aboriginal people were experiencing a powerful and solemn moment, one that held great significance for them.
Photo: AFP
This Cree was overwhelmed with emotions outside the basilica.
Many shed a few tears, as the memories that came to the surface were emotionally charged.
“It’s a great moment that we are all living with our hearts,” said Jean-Charles Piétacho, head of the Innu council of Ekuanitshit.
At the very end of the ceremony, the sovereign pontiff blessed members of the First Nations, including a severely handicapped child.
Pope Francis, impaired due to serious knee problems, kissed the toddler before sitting him on top of him for a few moments.
– With the collaboration of Dominique Lelièvre and Stéphanie Martin