Pope willing to travel to Canada on pilgrimage of healing and reconciliation

  • Page Views 676
  • A statement issued by the Holy See Press Office says the Pope has indicated he is willing to visit Canada on a date to be settled in due course.

    The Holy See Press Office released a statement on Wednesday regarding an invitation issued by Canada’s Bishops to Pope Francis to visit their country:

    “The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has invited the Holy Father to make an apostolic journey to Canada, also in the context of the long-standing pastoral process of reconciliation with indigenous peoples. His Holiness has indicated his willingness to visit the country on a date to be settled in due course,” the statement reads.

    A communique published by the CCCB says the Bishops invited the Pope to “visit Canada on a pilgrimage of healing and reconciliation.”

    It notes that the Bishops of Canada have been engaged in discussions with Indigenous Peoples, especially those affected by residential schools, who have shared stories about the suffering and challenges that they continue to experience.

    Pope Francis has shared his sorrow for what he described as the “shocking news” for the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves detected in the grounds of the Church-run Kamloops Indian Residential School this past summer.

    Speaking during the Angelus on 6 June 2021, he said he was praying for the Canadian Church and for the people, and he issued an appeal to political and religious authorities of Canada to work together to shed light on the matter and commit to “a path of reconciliation and healing.”

    The Residential Schools

    The residential schools were government-sponsored schools, many of them run by Christian organizations, that were established to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture. They operated from the 1880s into the closing decades of the 20th century and aimed to educate and convert Indigenous youth and to assimilate them into mainstream Canadian society. The system forcibly separated children from their families for extended periods of time and forbade them to acknowledge their Indigenous heritage and culture or to speak their own languages. Former students tell of extensive and systemic abuse within the system. (Vatican News)

    Share

    New Posts Recently publish post More

    • 25 April 2024
      1 day ago No comment

      It’s official: April 27 is Lapu-Lapu Day in Vancouver and B.C.

      The Province of British Columbia and the City of Vancouver are proclaiming April 27, 2024 as Lapu-Lapu Day. In addition, the City of Vancouver is illuminating city hall on Cambie Street and the Burrard Street Bridge with Philippine colours in honour of Lapu-Lapu, the first national hero of the ...

    • 04 April 2024
      3 weeks ago No comment

      Filipinos report racism in Canadian community sports

      Filipinos are likely to experience or witness racism during community sports in Canada. This finding was part of the data released by Statistics Canada following its latest survey of participation and experiences in community sports. The national statistical agency defines “community sports” as “organized sports, including those played in ...

    • 21 March 2024
      1 month ago No comment

      Canada eyes space cooperation with Philippines

      The Philippines held its first space cooperation conference on March 19, 2024 as the country seeks to explore opportunities presented by the heavens. The conference was organized by the Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Studies, a Metro Manila-based think-tank; the fledgling Philippine Space Agency; and ...

    • 14 March 2024
      1 month ago No comment

      Mable endorses campaign for Benson Flores marker

      Mable Elmore is supporting the campaign to raise funds for a memorial marker for pioneer immigrant Benson Flores. Elmore is the Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Vancouver-Kensington, which is also home to Mountain View Cemetery where Flores is buried in an unmarked grave. MLA Elmore ...

    • 07 March 2024
      2 months ago No comment

      Quiboloy church linked to fake marriages in Canada

      Some 100 allegedly fraudulent marriages in Canada are connected to the religious group led by the spiritual adviser of now former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. This stunning allegation was made on March 5, 2024 by Dindo Maquiling, a former follower of Apollo Quiboloy. Maquiling is a former executive director ...

    %d bloggers like this: