Why the Pope’s words continue to reverberate – The Hill Times

August 8, 2022

The lasting impacts of the papal visit will continue to reverberate. It provoked some difficult reflections in churches and among Catholics across the country. It honoured the incredible resilience of Indigenous peoples. It added some fuel to speed up this reconciliation train. But please don’t make policy or legislation that forces us to continue to be resilient. We’d like to be done with that.

OTTAWA—There was a certain trajectory in the Pope’s speeches across Canada. His first included an apology and was sincere and meaningful but didn’t quite go far enough in taking institutional responsibility for residential schools. The Lac Ste. Anne speech reflected on family as a source of healing both for Indigenous peoples and for Catholics, and here the messaging and tone started to shift. “When looking at the Indigenous peoples and thinking of their history and the pain that they endured, what do I do for Indigenous peoples? Do I merely listen with curiosity, horrified by what happened in the past, or do I do something concrete for them?” One wonders if the Pope was speaking to his own staff as well as Catholics who deny the horrors of residential schools.

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