Cowessess chief says papal visit must come with full apology and action

Content warning: The following story contains details about the Canadian residential school system. For survivors experiencing distress due to their experience, the Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day at 1-866-925-4419.

With a papal visit to Canada now confirmed, the chief of the Cowessess First Nation wants to see Pope Francis visit the location where the Catholic Church ran its residential school on the First Nation.

Chief Cadmus Delorme said such a visit would be an important step toward reconciliation and an apology for the church’s role in the residential school system would fulfil one of the 94 Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Cowessess First Nation was where the church used to run the Marieval Residential School. Over the summer, ground-penetrating radar revealed the presence of 751 unmarked graves.

Pope Francis has previously expressed “sorrow” for the harms caused by the church but stopped short of an apology.

“An apology starts with the truth, accepting the responsibility, accepting the role and also with an apology comes an action,” Delorme said. “That action should come with discussion between residential school survivors, First Nation leadership and the Roman Catholic Church.”

From what Delorme has heard from survivors, reaction to news that the pontiff will travel to Canada has been mixed.

“We have some that want an apology. We have some that think the apology is too late,” Delorme said. “Their realistic truth of what they’re dealing with comes out in many ways.”

However, the chief said a visit would help with a “reset” in the relationship between First Nations and the church.

The action Delorme wants to see includes the church transferring its residential school records. He said they are needed to help identify those buried in the unmarked graves.

“Every unmarked grave will have a mark and it will have a name and records is a key part of that,” he said.

He said the church would also need to follow its apology with action to correct the harmful legacy of the schools.

“Intergenerational trauma is alive in every community across this country (and) in First Nation community, that it’s alive in our urban settings where Indigenous people who are survivors or descendants of survivors,” Delorme said.

On Wednesday, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) announced Pope Francis accepted its invitation to visit Canada “on a pilgrimage of healing and reconciliation.”

“The Bishops of Canada have been engaged in meaningful discussions with Indigenous Peoples, especially those affected by Residential Schools who have shared stories about the suffering and challenges that they continue to experience,” read a statement from the CCCB president, the Most Rev. Raymond Poisson.

“We pray that Pope Francis’ visit to Canada will be a significant milestone in the journey toward reconciliation and healing.”

The CCCB said before the visit, it will send a delegation of Indigenous survivors, Elders, knowledge keepers and youth to the Holy See. Once there, they will speak to the pontiff about the timing of the trip, the focus and themes to cover.

The delegation’s trip is scheduled to happen from Dec. 17-20. The CCCB says it will announce further details about Pope Francis’ visit as it confirms details.