For the first time since starting a tour of Canada highlighted by an apology for the Catholic Church’s role in indigenous schools, Pope Francis on Thursday acknowledged the sexual abuse of “minors and vulnerable people.” Speaking at a prayer service at Quebec City’s Notre-Dame de Quebec City Cathedral, Francis said the church in Canada is on a new path after being destroyed by “the evil committed by some of its sons and daughters.” “I think particularly about the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable people, crimes that require strong action and irrevocable commitment,” he said in a speech delivered in his native Spanish. Francis apologized during his visit to both Alberta and Quebec for the role Catholic institutions played in the aboriginal residential school system — and until Thursday had made no mention of sexual abuse. However, he did not specifically say that the sexual abuse occurred in residential schools. He said the Christian community must never again allow itself to be “tainted” by the idea that one culture is superior to another, repeating his call for forgiveness. “The pain and shame we feel must be converted: never again!” Francis received a standing ovation after his speech from the invitation-only congregation, which included bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians and pastors 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 pontiff’s historic apology. Anishinaabe activist Sarain Fox and her cousin Chelsea Brunelle raised their fists Thursday morning as they held a large banner reading “Rescind the doctrine” inside the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, shortly before function led by Francis. The banner referred to the Doctrine of Discovery, which comes from a series of decrees 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 on his trip to Canada were meaningful — even beautiful — “actions speak louder than words.” The pope, he said, failed to make clear that the entire religious organization, not just a few bad people, was responsible for residential school abuses. And he has not commented on the doctrine used to justify the colonization of lands that were thought to be uninhabited but were in fact home to indigenous peoples. The women said they had not traveled from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., planned to protest, but changed their minds after being offended by what they saw as a lack of indigenous representation and care for survivors at Wednesday’s papal events. “My experience in Quebec has been that this whole event feels like no one consulted the aboriginal community,” he said. “I don’t feel like we’re a part of it.” The theme of the mass was reconciliation and the congregation was largely made up of school survivors and other indigenous people. During his address, the pontiff used two Bible stories — that of Adam and Eve and that of two disciples haunted by failure after Jesus’ death — to illustrate the “difficult and demanding journey of healing and reconciliation.” of the church. Chief Real McKenzie of the Matimekush-Lac Nation John Innu said he is hopeful the Pope’s visit and his message will bring healing to some, but acknowledged it has divided communities. “Some will accept it,” McKenzie said, but others will die without hearing what they consider a satisfactory answer. Jackie Gull-Barney, from the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi 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 schools in Quebec. She was happy with the Pope’s apology to the indigenous people in Maskwacis, Alta., which she felt was “very humble and very sincere.” But he wants to know what concrete steps will follow. “What will happen after the apology?” he said. “Will there be programs and places we can go for help and help to keep going?” Hundreds gathered outside the basilica in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre, Que., to hear Francis lead the second mass of his Canadian tour, which he has called a pilgrimage of repentance. Organizers said many of the speakers who delivered readings at Thursday’s service were indigenous, and the pope’s vestment — the outer garment worn by Roman Catholic priests during the service — was specially designed by a local Huron-Wendat artist. Many in the stands were dressed in orange to represent the Every Child Matters movement — remembering the children lost in residential schools and the survivors. Some attendees wore floral scarves and elderly people in wheelchairs sat in a section left near the stage. Louis Joe Bernard, a Mi’kmaq originally from Nova Scotia, said the Pope’s visit has been emotional but beneficial. “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 indigenous leaders want to see Francis go further. “The message of His Holiness, the message of the church that this is the beginning of a process is encouraging, it has helped many in their healing, but there is a lot of work to be done,” Trudeau told reporters in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre. Francis is due to leave Quebec City on Friday and make a brief stop in Iqaluit before heading home to Vatican City. The Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program has a hotline to help residential school survivors and their families who are traumatized by the recall of past abuse. The number is 1-866-925-4419. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 28, 2022.
