Pope Francis has arrived in Canada to begin a week-long visit that will be focused on the Roman Catholic Church's apologies for the abuse that Indigenous children suffered at residential schools that were mostly run by the church.
"This is a penitential journey. Let's say that is its spirit," the pope said to reporters on Sunday after his flight left Rome.The papal aircraft landed in Edmonton, Alberta's westernmost province, on Sunday. On Monday, Francis will tour a former residential school and meet with Indigenous people there.
The capital of the Nunavut territory, Iqaluit, and Quebec City are also on the pope's itinerary. Friday will see his departure.
More than 150,000 Indigenous children were taken away from their families and sent to residential schools between 1881 and 1996. In a system that Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission referred to as "cultural genocide," several children were malnourished, physically assaulted, and sexually molested.
Vatican and Canadian flags were flying outside the cockpit windows as the papal aircraft taxied. The pope entered a white Fiat 500X after disembarking with the use of a lift, which dropped him off at the hangar. He then rolled forward in a wheelchair.First to meet the pope was Governor General Mary Simon, who stands in for Canada's monarch, Queen Elizabeth. Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, came next.The pope stood between the two Canadian officials for a brief performance by four drummers and aboriginal singers before greeting and exchanging gifts with many Indigenous chiefs, many of whom were decked out in ornate headdresses.
Grand Chief George Arcand Jr. of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations stated in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, "I asked today for the pope to walk with us. It was incredibly humbling to speak with your holiness.
The pope was also received by RoseAnne Archibald, national chief for the Assembly of First Nations, who criticized the "unilateral" planning of the trip and the "archaic" character of the church, which has no female officials.She told reporters at the airport, "We don't feel that it has been about survivors" of residential schools. "It has primarily been about the church generating money for the church and promoting the church's philosophy."
After the brief service, the pope departed in a wheelchair to have a brief private conversation with Trudeau and other officials before making his way to St. Joseph Seminary, where he will likely rest until Monday's celebrations.The discovery of possible unmarked graves at or close to former residential school sites last year brought the matter to light, even though Canada's officials had known about the high number of children dying at the residential schools since 1907.
The pope apologized for the Catholic church's involvement in the schools earlier this year during a visit by Indigenous delegates to the Vatican in response to pressure brought on by those revelations.
On Canadian soil, an apology is not enough for survivors and Indigenous leaders, though.
Many have demanded monetary restitution, the repatriation of Indigenous artifacts, the disclosure of school records, support for the extradition of an alleged abuser, and the repeal of a 15th-century theory that utilized a papal bull, or edict, to justify the colonial colonization of Indigenous people.
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