'I told him farewell. We talked about hockey': Wilton Littlechild's friendship with the Pope

Fakiha Baig · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 12:13 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

He wanted to intelligibly perceive each word.

As Francis spoke, Littlechild, a residential schoolhouse subsister who served as commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, says helium became inactive and thought: "I was listening to 1 of our elders."

Littlechild says it was the archetypal clip helium saw the caput of the Catholic Church arsenic an state of Indigenous people.

"[Francis] was telling immoderate of america traumatized arsenic adults to question to emotion ... that's however our elders speech to us. We grew up not knowing love. That stuck with maine each the mode until today," Littlechild, 81, said pursuing the decease of Pope Francis on Monday.

At property six, Littlechild was sent to the Ermineskin Residential School successful cardinal Alberta, which was 1 of the largest successful Canada. He spent 14 years at residential schools, wherever helium suffered abuse.

He was an outstanding jock successful galore sports, a lawyer, a expansive main of Alberta Treaty 6 and a subordinate of Parliament. He besides worked for decades with the United Nations, including connected its Declaration connected the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He was astatine the UN successful New York connected Monday erstwhile helium learned astir the Pope's death.

Littlechild was portion of an Indigenous delegation that travelled successful 2022 to conscionable with Francis astatine the Vatican and inquire for an apology for the church's relation successful residential schools.

Survivors were fixed 30 minutes to speak, helium said.

An apology sought and offered

Littlechild said helium told Francis about however helium and his siblings were taken from their location and brought to a residential school.

He told the pontiff that sports saved him. "I said, 'It gave maine a mode retired of addictions, suicide', you know, antagonistic worldly I don't adjacent privation to deliberation about."

He besides told Francis that among Canadian provinces and territories, Alberta had the most church-operated residential schools and galore survivors wanted an apology.

As survivors kept telling their stories, the Pope told his squad to springiness them much clip to speak.

When they near the gathering aft 3 hours, Littlechild said Francis told him, "I'll spot you soon."

Later successful the week, during a last gathering with delegates, Francis said helium was sorry.

"It was a postulation of galore stories that culminated successful that telephone for those 3 small words to beryllium spoken truthful that radical could heal from their trauma, their puerility abuse, their addictions, unit successful life," Littlechild said.

Pope Francis besides announced helium planned to sojourn Canada, and helium did aboriginal successful the year, delivering the archetypal apology connected Canadian ungraded astatine Maskwacis, Alta., location to 4 reserves, including Ermineskin Cree Nation, wherever Littlechild is from.

Littlechild said helium whitethorn person impacted the Pope's determination to take his community.

It was a historical day, and Littlechild said that the apology lifted a value disconnected his bosom that helium had been carrying arsenic a subsister and aft listening to 7,000 stories of maltreatment portion with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

"I was proceeding my ain idiosyncratic communicative of maltreatment implicit and implicit and implicit again arsenic commissioner. I didn't privation to bash that job," helium said.

"And yet I'm truthful thankful that I did. That apology gave maine an accidental to forgive, which I did. And I told him that, 'I forgave."'

At Maskwacis, Littlechild besides talented Francis a headdress worn by his grandfather, a erstwhile Cree chief. It was a infinitesimal seen by radical astir the world.

"It was benignant of arguable for some," Littlechild added.

Some survivors felt the Pope's apology wasn't capable and helium didn't merit the honour. The papacy besides had besides discouraged anyone from replacing the papal tiara.

But Littlechild said Pope Francis gave support for it to beryllium placed connected his head.

A penitential pilgrimage

Littlechild travelled to Iqaluit for the Pope's past halt connected the "penitential pilgrimage" successful Canada.

It was the past clip helium spoke to Francis.

"I told him farewell. We talked astir hockey."

WATCH | Mourners wage their respects arsenic Pope Francis is laid to rest: 

On Easter Sunday, Littlechild said helium watched the Pope's past nationalist quality connected TV, wherever Francis was struggling to speak. He died the pursuing morning.

Littlechild said helium was precise bittersweet to perceive of the decease but blessed Francis has recovered peace.

He said helium has asked the Vatican for support to be the Pope's ceremonial connected Saturday.

"To person a person permission you successful this mode is sad, and you're astatine a nonaccomplishment of words."

Francis restored respectful relationships with Indigenous people, Littlechild said.

"But I'm ever told that we person a agelong mode to go. And, yes, we do," helium said.

"Will the adjacent pope elevate america to that adjacent step?"

A nationalist 24-hour Indian Residential School Crisis Line is disposable astatine 1-866-925-4419 for affectional and situation referral services for survivors and those affected.