Pope Francis arrived in Canada on Sunday with a drumbeat of honor ahead of what he describes as a “penitential” trip aimed at advancing reconciliation with indigenous people over the lasting damage suffered at residential schools.
The Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation Drum Group sang for Francis as he sat between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simon in an airport hangar at Edmonton International Airport.
The Pope told reporters on the plane before landing in Edmonton that the six-day visit must be done carefully.
The pontiff will also travel to Quebec City and Iqaluit.
“I hope, with the grace of God, that my penitential pilgrimage can contribute to the path of reconciliation already begun. Please join me in prayer,” said a message on the Pope’s Twitter account.
Dear brothers and sisters of #pray.
—@Pontifex
An elevator was used to take the Pope down from the plane, and he went for a short ride in a Fiat to the hangar. He was then wheeled into a wheelchair and wheeled onto a red carpet for the official welcoming ceremony.
The Grand Chief of Treaty Six, George Arcand Jr., gave the Pope a pearl locket and was given an unknown item in return.
“I hope this visit will be the beginning of a change in history, a change in the way business will be done and a way to begin our healing journey,” said Arcand Jr. on CBC News after the arrival ceremony.
“More importantly, I asked the Pope to walk with us and create this new path that needs to be created.”
Francis kissed the hand of residential school survivor Alma Desjarlais of the Frog Lake First Nation as he welcomed the Pope along with Grand Chief Greg Desjarlais of the Six Nations Treaty First Nations Confederation.
Francis was also received by other dignitaries of the church, indigenous people and politicians.
Pope Francis was then to be driven to St. Joseph’s Seminary, where he will stay during the Alberta portion of the trip.
LOOK | The defender of indigenous rights expects “not just another apology”:
What an apology from the Pope’s residential school in Canada could mean for reconciliation
Pope Francis is coming to Canada and some survivors are hoping for an apology for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in residential school abuse. From healing resources to returning Indigenous artifacts, First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders explain what the visit and apology mean for reconciliation.
The Pope plans to visit the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School in the Maskwacis community, south of Edmonton, on Monday. That is where Francis will make his first public statement in Canada and is expected to apologize to indigenous people for the abuses they have suffered.
An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools in Canada, where neglect and physical and sexual abuse were widespread. More than 60% of the schools were run by the Roman Catholic Church.
On Sunday, Grand Chief Desjarlais said his thoughts were with those who did not return home from residential schools and those who survived them.
Desjarlais said he’s optimistic about the apology, but the fact is generations of Indigenous people in Canada have been traumatized, he said.
“Now I hope the world will see why our people are so hurt,” he told reporters.
“When you acknowledge a mistake, that’s when reconciliation can begin.”
Vicki Arcand, an Alexander First Nation elder and residential school survivor, said she thinks the Pope’s visit is long overdue. But he hopes it will encourage people to start thinking differently and try to deal with their past trauma.
“May be [the Pope’s visit] it’s something that should have happened many, many years ago. Perhaps then the beginning of reconciliation would have begun,” he said.
“This is an important historical moment”
Arcand Jr. said last week that survivors carry unimaginable trauma for many generations. He said the Pope’s acknowledgment of his pain is a crucial step.
“This is an important historic moment for the survivors of the residential school system and the damage done by the Catholic Church,” Arcand Jr. said.
RoseAnne Archibald, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said she is waiting for the apology, but she believes the focus on survivors has been lost in the run-up to the Pope’s visit.
Pope Francis greets Arcand, left, and others during a welcome ceremony at the Edmonton airport hangar on Sunday. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
“[The church] he did not include us in the proper planning of this trip. It’s been very one-sided and we don’t think it’s been about survivors,” Archibald said, referring, for example, to the church trying to raise funds through tickets to a mass this week.
“We need to refocus on what we’re really doing here, and that’s survivors … hearing the Pope’s apology.”
On April 1, after meeting for several days with First Nations, Inuit and Métis groups at the Vatican, Francis apologized for the deplorable behavior of some church members involved in residential schools and left commit to visiting Canada.
Indigenous delegates had told the Pope they wanted an apology on Canadian soil.
First Nations leaders in Alberta said they hope the Pope’s presence will open old wounds for Indigenous people and that mental health counselors will be in place. But they also hope that the visit will be a step towards reconciliation.
LOOK | What a Pope’s Apology to Canada Could Mean for Reconciliation:
As Pope Lands in Canada, Indigenous Rights Defender Expects ‘Not Just Another Apology’
Pope Francis arrived in Edmonton to begin a six-day tour of Canada aimed at reconciliation with indigenous peoples. Indigenous rights activist and writer Riley Yesno hopes people will take into account the broad feelings of residential school survivors during the Pope’s visit.
“We are here with you and we are supporting you,” Louis Bull Chief Desmond Bull told survivors last week.
Archibald said he hopes there are enough mental health supports for people who hear the Pope’s early apology because it will cause a lot of pain and raw emotion, both today and in the future.
The Ermineskin School in south Edmonton was one of the largest institutions in Canada. Organizers of the papal visit have said they expect around 15,000 people to be in Maskwacis to see the 85-year-old pontiff.
Later Monday, Francis will meet with parishioners at a church in downtown Edmonton. A large outdoor mass is planned for Tuesday at the city’s soccer stadium. The Pope then heads to the nearby Lac Ste. Anne to participate in an annual pilgrimage.
Francis will travel to Quebec City on Wednesday and deliver a public speech after meetings with Trudeau and Simon. The next day, another big mass is scheduled in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.
The visit will end in Iqaluit on Friday before Francis returns to the Vatican.
Organizers have reported that due to the Pope’s age and physical limitations, he will participate in public events for approximately one hour and will use a wheelchair throughout the tour.
Shortly after leaving Rome, the Pope used a cane to help him move around the plane as he greeted individual journalists.
“I think I can pull it off,” he joked.
Thousands of people have traveled from different parts of the country to participate in the events.
Mabel Brown, a 77-year-old residential school survivor, traveled to Edmonton from Inuvik to hear the Pope apologize and find forgiveness and healing with other survivors. She hopes it’s an opportunity to move forward in a good way.
“This is a very important moment in history,” he said. “Better things are yet to come.”
Support is available for anyone affected by the lingering effects of residential centers and those triggered by the latest reports. The Indian Residential School Survivors Society can be reached toll-free at 1-800-721-0066.
A National Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line has been set up to support alumni and those affected. Access crisis and emotional referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.