The Pope's in the Mail

The Pope is in the mail, so to speak. Pope Francis has announced that at the behest of bishops he will come to Canada as part of efforts toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. While this has been necessary and ignored for decades there is a new focus and urgency  following the discovery this summer of hundreds of potential burial sites at former church-run residential schools. No date has been given, so we will wait and see how this unfolds. .

I have expressed what may have seemed to be cynicism about the responses of the Roman Catholic church to this shameful history with Indigenous peoples, largely because there have been a series of broken promises and avoidance of responsibility along the way. Other denominations, including the United Church, have certainly been complicit in the institiutions which attempted to eradicate Indigenous culture but have made attempts toward reconciliation, including financial compensation. 

I listened to two Indigenous women yesterday, both of whom are leaders and both from families which have experienced intergenerational traumas because of the institutions. They feel that if Pope Francis does come he must apologize in a transparent and sincere manner. He must insist that all relevant documents related to the schools be released. And there must be a public commitment to financial reparations which included and goes beyond the $30 million recently pledged by the Catholic bishops of Canada. 

In December a delegation of Indigenous leaders is heading to Rome to ask Francis to issue an apology in Canada. Perhaps by then a date will be set. One of the women noted that Francis is "willing" to visit Canada. She noted that she is willing to travel around the world, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen. I laughed in appreciation of her wry observation knowing that this isn't funny. I hope God gives a sense of urgency to the pontiff and the Roman Catholic church in moving toward reconciliation.