Pope Francis Praises Canada’s Indigenous People as he Departs Québec

He thanked the indigenous people for welcoming him to Canada. The 22 delegates in attendance Friday represented the Mi’kmaq, Algonquin, Mohawk, Cree, Innu, Atikamekw, Malecite, Abenaki, and Naskapi nations.

“I can truly say that, while I came to be with you, it was your life and experiences, the indigenous realities of these lands, that have touched me, remained with me, and will always be a part of me,” the vicar of Christ said.

“I dare say, if you will allow me, that now, in a certain sense, I also feel a part of your family, and for this, I am honored,” he added.

As he first did in his apology speech on Monday, Pope Francis again praised the importance that indigenous communities put on family and tradition. He also developed this theme on Tuesday on the feast of St. Anne, the patron saint of grandparents.

“In a world that, tragically, is often all too individualistic, how precious is your profoundly genuine sense of family and community. How important it is to cultivate properly the bond between young and old, and to maintain a healthy and harmonious relationship with all of creation!” the pope said.

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Pope Francis continued his speech by highlighting the example of three women who he said “best understand how to protect the most important things in life.” The first was St. Anne, who raised the Virgin Mary; the second was Mary herself, the Mother of God, and finally St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized and a member of the Mohawk people.

Both Mary and St. Kateri “received from God a plan for their lives, and, without asking any man, courageously assented to it,” the pope said.

“Those two women could have responded irately to anyone who opposed that plan, or simply submitted to the patriarchal rules of the time and given up, without battling for the dreams that God himself had inspired in them,” he continued. “They chose not to do that, but instead, with meekness and determination, with prophetic words and decisive gestures, they blazed a trail and accomplished what they had been called to do.

“May they bless the journey we now share, and intercede for us and for this great work of healing and reconciliation that is so pleasing to God. I bless all of you from my heart. And I ask you, please, to continue to pray for me,” the Holy Father concluded.

After the address, Pope Francis was scheduled to fly to Iqaluit, the capital and only city of Nunavut, Canada’s northernmost and most sparsely populated territory, arriving there at 3:50 p.m. EDT. After meeting with former students of Canada’s residential schools in Iqaluit, he will depart for Rome at 6:45 p.m.