Indigenous leaders and residential school survivors reflect on compassionate, complex legacy of Pope Francis

Brittany Hobson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 22, 2025 11:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

It's been astir 3 years since Pope Francis travelled to Canada to apologize for the Catholic Church's relation successful residential schools. But for immoderate Indigenous survivors, memories of the historical time stay caller successful their minds.

"His statements of apology inactive person a batch of interaction to a batch of america residential schoolhouse survivors," Piita Irniq said successful an interrogation pursuing quality of the Pope's decease Monday.

The pontiff was 88.

Irniq was successful Iqaluit successful July 2022 for the Pope's last halt successful Canada arsenic portion of what was described arsenic his "penitential pilgrimage."

The erstwhile person was forced to be a residential schoolhouse successful Chesterfield Inlet, successful what is present Nunavut, wherever helium was stripped of his Inuit civilization and connection and was abused by a nun.

When Francis arrived successful the Nunavut, helium was met by survivors who shared their experiences and showcased accepted dancing, drumming and pharynx singing — practices banned successful residential schools.

'A man of peace'

"He came to speech to us, helium wanted to perceive america and helium wanted to consciousness what we had successful caput arsenic survivors of residential school. I person a full respect for Pope Francis," Irniq said.

"I ever felt that helium is simply a antheral of peace, helium is simply a antheral of compassion, and helium is simply a antheral of emotion for each radical of the world."

WATCH | Pope's residential schoolhouse apology a measurement toward healing: 

Irniq said it was important for him to execute a drum creation successful beforehand of Francis to amusement that Canada and the church's effort to assimilate Indigenous peoples didn't work. He aboriginal gave Francis the handmade drum that Irniq made with his son.

After years of groups advocating for the caput of the religion to apologize to survivors connected Canadian soil, Francis promised to bash truthful successful the outpouring of 2022.

He was a "man of his word," said erstwhile nationalist main of the Assembly of First Nations Phil Fontaine.

"Pope Francis was a large man. He was humble. He was courageous. And helium was liable for giving the First Peoples, successful peculiar survivors of the residential schoolhouse experience, anticipation for existent reconciliation."

Fontaine was 1 of the archetypal to talk publically astir maltreatment astatine residential schools erstwhile helium recounted successful 1990 his ain experiences astatine the Fort Alexander Residential School successful Manitoba.

About 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to be residential schools. More than 60 per cent of the schools were tally by the Catholic Church.

Fontaine and Irniq were portion of a radical that went to the Vatican successful 2009 to conscionable erstwhile pope Benedict to petition an apology. Benedict didn't oblige.

The last study from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released successful 2015 included a telephone to enactment urging the Pope to question to Canada to apologize.

In 2022, Fontaine made different travel to the Vatican with an Indigenous delegation. This time, Francis apologized and promised to bring his atonement to Canada.

A fewer months later, successful Maskwacis, Alta., Francis begged for forgiveness and expressed shame for abuses committed by immoderate members of the church, arsenic good arsenic for taste demolition and forced assimilation that culminated successful schools.

Fontaine said Francis asking for forgiveness helped marque the reconciliation travel a spot easier for immoderate survivors.

Many Indigenous radical said the apology was necessary, particularly for survivors, due to the fact that it meant the caput of the religion yet recognized that harms were committed.

Some criticized Francis for not going acold enough. They were disappointed helium didn't sanction the crimes and abuses.

Others called for action, not words.

"The religion has to stay committed to reconciliation," said Fontaine. "It indispensable stay committed to the truth. And it indispensable perpetrate the tremendous enactment that it tin supply america successful this precise hard travel that we're on."

WATCH | Pope embarks connected Canadian pilgrimage, delivers historical apology: 

He said portion of that enactment includes pursuing done connected calls for the Vatican to instrumentality ineffable artifacts.

Groups are moving with a Vatican typical to repatriate these items backmost to Canada, said Fontaine, adding helium doesn't expect the Francis's decease to interaction the effort.

'Unforgettable'

Jocelyne Robinson attended Easter wide connected Monday astatine Vancouver's Holy Rosary Cathedral, wherever the congregation mourned.

Robinson, who is Algonquin Anishnaabe, said she believes the Pope's apology and reconciliation efforts with Indigenous peoples means aboriginal dialog connected reconciliation volition beryllium infused with his legacy.

"I surely admit that it's a courageous happening to do," she said. "And, helium surely had [done] a batch of affirmative things ... toward the end."

Rev. Cristino Bouvette, pastor of the Sacred Heart Parish successful Strathmore, Alta., sees enactment being done astatine the crushed level to beforehand reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

"In the clip since, galore conversations person happened. And I cognize that it volition proceed to spell connected due to the fact that present we are, astir 3 years retired since the papal visit, and it's inactive precise overmuch connected people's minds," helium said.

"This is ongoing enactment that indispensable continue."

Bouvette, the nationalist liturgical manager for the Pope's sojourn to Canada, is Italian, Cree and Métis. His kokum, oregon grandmother, was a residential schoolhouse survivor.

Bouvette noted determination isn't a time that goes by that he's not reminded of the months starring up to the Pope's sojourn and the days that helium spent moving with him.

"It's, for a Catholic priest, unforgettable."