For the first papal visit to Canada in two decades, the pontiff plans to visit First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities as he travels from Alberta to Quebec, ending his visit in the arctic territory of Nunavut. While the head of the Catholic church will hold public services and meet with government officials and supporters, much of his trip — called Walking Together — is expected to focus on reconciliation and recognition of the harms of Canada’s church school system. Over a century, at least 150,000 indigenous children were taken from their families and forced to attend schools, many of which were run by the Catholic Church. Last year, ground-penetrating radar confirmed what indigenous communities had long suspected, that more than 1,000 possible mass graves were hidden in the grounds of dozens of schools across the country. In April, during a meeting with indigenous representatives at the Vatican, Pope Francis apologized to survivors, formally expressing his regret for the “deplorable” abuses of the past. Indigenous leaders have expressed cautious optimism that the visit will refocus attention on the harms of the residential school system – and the challenges of reconciliation. Francis is expected to issue his first papal pardon when he visits the former Ermineskin Indian School in Maskwacis, Alberta on Sunday. The school was one of the largest in Canada, operating from 1916 to 1975. Despite the church’s shift toward atonement in recent years, its handling of financial settlements is likely to come under scrutiny again. As part of a 2007 settlement, the Catholic church agreed to pay C$29 million in compensation to survivors, but distributed only a fraction of that amount, citing poor fundraising efforts. But Canadian media reports revealed the church controls more than C$4 billion in assets and built gilded cathedrals while claiming it lacked the funds to honor its promise of compensation. Indigenous leaders also demanded that all school records be released without the redaction. Abuse victims, many of whom languish through the courts seeking justice, wrote to the pope through their lawyers, asking him to direct dioceses and churches to help investigators and police. During a private meeting with the pope in April, the leader of Canada’s largest Inuit organization called on the pope to speed up efforts to extradite and arrest a “devil priest.” Senior church leaders in Canada have already expressed regret and dismay at the schools’ damaging legacy. But the symbolic nature of the Pope’s visit to apologize has prompted some groups to call for other actions. The Dehcho First Nations in the Northwest Territories want the Vatican and the federal government to renounce the “doctrine of discovery” – a papal decree that paved the way for European settlement of North America. “It is important to remember that the colonial attack on our nations and civilizations was justified and legitimized by the so-called ‘doctrine of discovery’, which falsely claimed that our nations did not already rule the lands and waters of Turtle Island long before the Europeans. arrived,” the nations said in a statement. While the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops previously rejected the decree in 2015, leaders want the repudiation of the papal bull to come from the church’s highest figure. With the expectation that Pope Francis will apologize for the damage the church has caused on the ground where these abuses occurred, groups working with survivors have spent months preparing cultural support unique to different nations. “We have to plan for every possible scenario — even the ones we don’t even anticipate so people feel safe,” said Angela White, the executive director of the Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST The group said it will host an event for survivors to watch live streams of Francis’ public appearances for family and those unable to attend in person. But planners are also keenly aware of the schools’ long reach. “There are previous survivors who are not here to show this. Some have died, some have committed suicide, some are living on the streets,” said Christine Johnson from the IRSSS. “It’s important to recognize those people too – those who can’t witness or be a part of it – and honor their experiences as well.” White said there was a wide range of perspectives and emotions leading up to the visit. “The hope is, for those who are open to it, that it’s a first step towards their journey of wellness and healing and forgiveness for all the horrors that have happened. Hopefully it will help put the horrors of the past on a shelf so they can get on with their lives,” he said. “Survivors may not have an immediate reaction. It may come days later. And it can come out in different ways, be it anger, tears or withdrawal. But we want them to be safe. We want them to know that they are not alone in this journey.”
