The Archbishop of Quebec says he expects Pope Leo will continue to work on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
Cardinal Gerald Lacroix called the word “reconciliation” very important for any pastor.
He shared his thoughts on Friday on the election of the first U.S.-born pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost.
The late Pope Francis made history in 2022 when he apologized to Canada’s Indigenous people for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools.
The Vatican says Leo will be formally installed as pope at a mass on May 18th.
Canada’s Indigenous leaders that were in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis said they hope the Vatican will continue to promote the reconciliation efforts he championed during his papacy.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon said the pontiff’s apology for widespread abuses in the residential school system was a significant step in addressing historical injustices.
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Canada’s first Indigenous governor general led the Canadian delegation at the funeral this morning, where she reflected on Francis’s monumental visit in 2022 to reach out to Indigenous Peoples.
She and Wilton Littlechild, a residential school survivor who served as a commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, said they hope Francis’s successor continues those efforts.
Simon called the apology “a significant milestone” on the “journey of reconciliation,” while Littlechild said there’s a need to “elevate our work on reconciliation.”
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