If the Pope’s visit was the first step, what is next for the Catholic Church?

In the white hall with the gold crest of the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec, Pope Francis sits facing church leaders. He shuffles through his papers, reciting a homily that is both smooth and authoritative. Catholic Church leader tells Canadian bishops, priests and seminarians that Indigenous Peoples who practice their cultures, languages ​​and spiritualities have the face of God within them.

That moment on July 28 was remarkable for Niigaan Sinclair, Anishnaabe scholar and columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press.

“He was basically saying that our cultures have value,” Sinclair said. Canadian National Observer.

“That is a remarkable change in more than 500 years of Catholic doctrine.”

However, despite this breakthrough, Sinclair was frustrated by the papal visit. There were elements of hope, but he says he had to look for them.

For example, some Indigenous Peoples were upset about missed opportunities for the Catholic Church to engage with Indigenous cultures during the papal visit, particularly during the Pope’s outdoor mass in Edmonton and his visit to Lac Ste. Ana.

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“The Catholic Church is like an aircraft carrier: you can only move it an inch. And when you move it that inch, it excites you, but it’s still only an inch,” says Sinclair.

Sinclair speaks of cautious optimism for change within an organization known for its age-old traditions and sometimes slow action. For example, calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission asked the Pope to apologize within a year; he took seven.

Still, with the papal visit organized, orchestrated and executed by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), there is reason to give some credit where it is due, says Sinclair.

But that doesn’t mean accountability has to end.

“Hopefully, they’ll do more than a PR stunt.”

The CCCB said Canadian National Observer He has heard the call from survivors and families to heal the traumas Indigenous Peoples have suffered due to residential schools, including calls to release related documents and records, return Indigenous artifacts housed in the Vatican, affirm the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples Indigenous Peoples and financially support the initiatives. that promote healing and reconciliation.

The organization says it plans to update its reconciliation action plan during the conference’s national plenary assembly this fall.

Many Indigenous Peoples have also explicitly called on the Catholic Church to name and renounce the Doctrine of Discovery, a 15th-century religious document, instituted by papal bulls, that gave explorers papal legitimacy to claim and colonize land they had “discovered”.

On July 28, before the pope’s homily at a mass celebrated in the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré basilica in Quebec City, two Cree activists echoed that call and threw a banner at the mass that read “Rescind doctrine.”

The Vatican and the CCCB are working on a new Church declaration on the Doctrine of Discovery, says the CCCB. The work began following the visit of an indigenous delegation to Rome earlier this year.

“It is important to note that Canada’s bishops continue to reject and resist the ideas associated with the Doctrine of Discovery in the strongest possible way,” the CCCB said. Canadian National Observer.

The CCCB is also fully committed to sharing church records with survivors and communities, including providing documentation that will aid in the commemoration of those buried in unmarked graves, the Ottawa-based organization says.

The CCCB acknowledges that indigenous leaders have identified problems in accessing information in a timely manner and says that the organization is working to better understand these concerns and provide adequate support.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action lay out next steps for the Church, and the bishops say they are working to achieve them.

Call 59 is to educate church leaders, including clergy and parishioners, about indigenous cultures and spirituality. In its plenary assembly 2021Canadian bishops have committed to educating Canadian Catholics and leadership about indigenous cultures and spirituality, the CCCB said.

Call 60 specifies funding for indigenous-run cultural and healing centers. The CCCB pointed to the $30 million it pledged last September for the indigenous reconciliation fund established by the Canadian bishops. The Catholic Church previously agreed to raise $25 million for survivors under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, but that campaign ultimately resulted in less than $4 million.

The CCCB’s current fund is on track to meet its fundraising goals, with $4.6 million already raised to support indigenous healing and reconciliation initiatives in Canada, according to the CCCB.

But more than $25 million is still needed.

“The proof will be in the actions,” says Sinclair. “Will the conference pay the $30 million they owe? Will they return documents? Will they rally the Vatican to return the holy objects? Will they continue to pressure the Vatican to repeal the Doctrine of Discovery?

“Those are the really important questions.”

Matteo Cimellaro / Local Journalism Initiative / Canadian National Observer