The service began at 10 a.m. with 2,000 people inside the basilica, several thousand more watching on large screens in the sanctuary area. Seating inside the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica was reserved for Indigenous participants, delegations from Eastern Canadian dioceses and some government officials. It was also broadcast on the plains of Abraham as well as 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, 35 kilometers northeast of Quebec City. Near the end of the procession at the start of the Mass, at least two people made their way to the front of the pulpit and held a large banner reading “Cancellation of the Doctrine” with clergy members standing a few feet away. The banner is a reference to the Doctrine of the Discovery, which refers to centuries-old papal edicts that justified the colonization, conversion and enslavement of non-Christians and the occupation of their lands — and, indigenous scholars say, laid the foundation for the Drase Indians in Canada. Many members of indigenous communities across the country had hoped the pope would rescind the doctrine during his weeklong trip to Canada. Once the ceremony began, the banner was then placed outside the basilica. In this photo, taken moments before the start of the Mass, two people are seen holding a banner that says “Abolish the dogma,” in reference to the Doctrine of Discovery. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters) During the Pope’s speech, he referred to “a feeling of failure” related to past actions, especially regarding indigenous peoples in Canada. “Brothers and sisters, these are our questions and they are the burning questions [Church] in Canada asks, with deep sorrow, for the difficult and demanding journey of healing and reconciliation,” the pontiff said. “Faced with the scandal of evil and the body of Christ wounded in the flesh of our native brothers and sisters, we too experienced deep disappointment; we too feel the weight of failure.” In addition to the Pope, members of the clergy took turns addressing the audience. And three sisters from Pessamit in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Élisabeth, Jeannette and Solange Vollant, sang an offering hymn to the Innu as the Eucharist was being prepared. WATCHES | Hymn offering recited to the Innu during the preparation of the Eucharist:
Three Innu sisters sing the offering hymn at the St. Francis Mass
Sisters Élisabeth, Jeannette and Solange Vollant, from the Innu community of Pessamit, in Quebec’s Côte-Nord, sing the offering hymn, which is sung before the preparation of the Eucharist, at the service presided over by Pope Francis at Sainte- Anne-de. – Beaupré Basilica in Quebec. The planning committee had arranged for 10,000 seats to be placed outside the sanctuary. The Holy Eucharist was distributed to those outside the basilica, as well as to those in the plains of Abraham — though not enough for everyone in the plains to receive what Catholics believe is the body of Christ. The Pope arrived in Quebec City on Wednesday afternoon and gave a speech calling for unity and healing from the historic Acropolis that evening.
Significance for indigenous Catholics
Saint Anne, according to religious tradition the grandmother of Jesus, is particularly important to Innu communities, as grandmothers often pass messages between households, said Andrée Paul, an Innu woman who is also from Pessamit, and is volunteer at the basilica for nearly 30 years. . Pope Francis recognized the importance of St. Anne in his pilgrimage to Lac Ste. Anne in Alberta on Tuesday, using the Cree word for grandmother. “Thinking of your kokum, I also remember my 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. In his address Wednesday in Quebec City, the pope said he wanted to express “deep shame and sorrow” for the residential school system in Canada, in which “local Catholic institutions participated.” While not denouncing the Catholic Church as a whole and its role in creating this system, Francis presented the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, saying it would inspire the commitment of Catholic communities to promote indigenous cultures and recognized the role of “local Catholic institutions”. “Today too, there are many forms of ideological colonization that conflict with the reality of life, suppress the natural attachment of peoples to their values, and try to uproot their traditions, history and religious ties,” Francis said. Olivia Munoz, second from left, brought photos of her dead grandparents to try to heal. (Jennifer Yoon/CBC) Olivia Munoz, a Kanien’kehá:ka woman whose grandfather attended a residential school in Brantford, Ont., came from Los Angeles to represent the survivor’s family. “We’re like the third generation and we’re feeling the effects of what happened to them,” he said. “It was a topic we only heard mentioned once, and that was it. But I feel the pain. I feel their pain.” Support is available for anyone affected by their residential school experience or recent reports. A national crisis line for residential schools in India has been set up to provide support to ex-students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419. Mental health counseling and crisis support is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
