There will be some representation from northwestern Ontario when Pope Francis visits Alberta next week.
His visit follows one made by an Indigenous delegation early this year to the Vatican where they spoke to the Holy See about Canada’s residential school system and the impact it has had on those who attended.
The meeting ended with an apology from Pope Francis for how Indigenous people were treated at Catholic-run schools.
Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa will be travelling to Edmonton as part of a federal NDP delegation.
Mamakwa says while he did not go to a Catholic residential school, he did attend one that was run by Mennonites.
He says he’s looking for the Pope to elaborate further on an apology he made earlier this year following a visit by an Indigenous delegation.
“I think it’s important to expand on that apology. Also important that every one of us, survivors and their families, it’s upon them on how they receive it, how they take it. But I think we need to be able to move forward and certainly look at options behind that apology,” says Mamakwa.
But the NDP member says words are not enough.
Mamakwa says it is also important the Pope and the Catholic church returns sacred artifacts stored at the Vatican and release all of their residential school records.
“I think it’s important to have like some type of healing initiative. For example, I know that in the north even during the visits I do sometimes, the fly-in for stations that were taken away, the fact that children were taken away that are adults now. They feel that they haven’t had an opportunity to voice the concerns, the healing that they need. I think we need to be able to have mechanisms in place where they call. The Catholic Church should be part of the solution of the pathway to healing,” suggests Mamakwa.
Mamakwa is hope he will be able to speak to the Pope, though nothing has been arranged/
Pope Francis’ visit to Canada will begin this Sunday.
