End of papal visit: demand for concrete gestures

Pope Francis takes a walkabout on the Plain of Abraham, in Quebec.

In order to see a more concrete progress of the Pope's visit, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) asks the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) to make public all the archives allowing to shed light on the history of residential schools in Canada while revoking the Doctrine of Discovery.

“While we acknowledge the efforts of the Pope, expectations are now very high for what will happen next. Apologies must be followed by concrete actions to open the Church's archives and revoke the Doctrine of Discovery, for it is the truth that will guide our journey of healing,” the Grand Chief said in a statement on Friday. of the Cree Nation Government, Mandy Gull-Masty.  

The AFNQL would like the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to assume a leadership role in the follow-up to the papal visit and to respond to several long-standing requests that are still outstanding.

Concrete actions

The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador also calls for concrete actions: “ This apology must be considered as a new step on the long road to reconciliation, and not as its outcome. We hope that the Catholic Church will take advantage of the coming months to take concrete action in this direction , added the Chief of the AFNQL, Ghislain Picard.

The First Nations organization underlined that it appreciated all the hard work that has been put in by the members of the First Nations in preparation for the papal visit.

Recall that Pope Francis visited Nunavut on Friday after meeting with Aboriginal communities in Alberta and Quebec.