Pope to Meet with Indigenous Leaders

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement on June 10th regarding a delegation to the Holy See. An excerpt of the statement reads as follows:  

“This pastoral visit will include the participation of a diverse group of Elders/Knowledge Keepers, residential school survivors, and youth from across the country. The event will likewise provide Pope Francis with a unique opportunity to hear directly from Indigenous Peoples, express his heartfelt closeness, address the impact of colonization and the implication of the Church in the residential schools, so as to respond to the suffering of Indigenous Peoples and the ongoing effects of intergenerational trauma.”  

 The full statement can be accessed on the Archdiocese of Toronto’s website. In addition to the CCCB and Cardinal Collins’ statement, you can access the frequently asked questions resource previously shared as well as a video conversation between Chief J. Wilton “Willie” Littlechild and Edmonton’s Archbishop Richard Smith, who recently came together in Maskwacis, Alberta to discuss reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples in Canada, and the response to the finding at the Kamloops Residential School site. Chief Littlechild is a former Grand Chief of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations. He was also a commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a member of the 1977 Indigenous delegation to the United Nations and he worked on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

Let us continue to pray for the children who died in the former Kamloops Indian Residential School and for all those impacted by this tragedy, that there may be healing founded on truth and that the Spirit will inspire our ongoing commitment to reconciliation. For this, we pray to the Lord.