Sask. religious leaders and residential school survivors reflect on Pope's legacy, change still needed

Sask. religious leaders and residential school survivors shared their reactions to Pope Francis' death on Monday, offering a mix of gratitude, hope and reservation.

The Vatican released a video statement on Monday announcing the death of Pope Francis, who had led the Catholic Church for 12 years. He was 88.

Francis helped usher in an era of progressive changes for the church, making history in 2022 for traveling to Canada and personally apologizing for the "deplorable" conduct of some members of the Catholic Church through the residential school system. He later acknowledged the system was an act of cultural "genocide."

The act was praised by many Indigenous leaders at the time as an important step in reconciliation.

Donald Bolen, the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Regina, said he was "deeply grateful" for the work Francis had done.

"His visit here was really, I think, a transformative moment," Bolen said. "He spoke from the heart. He spoke to the pain of our history. He offered apologies. He encountered Indigenous leaders and had meaningful conversations."

"It was like a full-time job, just following all of the things he said about outreach to the poor, about the need for the church to be a church that was poor and for the poor, his commitment to people who were marginalized and on the peripheries."

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse had similar thoughts on Monday, saying the Pope opened up a new chapter of healing for survivors and their families.

"He listened to us. He listened to our survivors, to the stories of residential schools," she said. "We hope that his positive legacy will be carried forward, and people within the church will honour his work."

For Barry Kennedy, who says he experienced physical and sexual abuse when he was forced to attend the Marieval Indian Residential School outside of Broadview, Sask., the Pope's 2022 apology was not sufficient.

"The first thing that came to my mind was his apology and how I felt it was so shallow," he said. "It wasn't hard to imagine that there was no real honesty and truth behind that apology."

The fact that Catholic Church entities continue to withhold documents relating to residential schools prevents Kennedy from fully forgiving, he says.

"I'm still hoping that one day that it'll all be turned over back to the Indigenous people and Indian people of Canada," he said.

Kennedy said as a student at the school he witnessed sexual abuse committed by staff members and other students, and even attended the funeral of a young student whose name he never learned.

"One of the things that he could have said and I think would have brought a lot of relief and taking a lot of the historical stress and anger off people was, he should've said, 'hey, how come they have never charged anybody?'"

"They didn't take the Indian out of the child, they took the child out of the Indian."

A date for the Pope's funeral has yet to be chosen. According to tradition, it must take place between four and six days after the Pope's death.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available to provide support for survivors and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour service at 1-866-925-4419.

Mental health counselling and crisis support are also available 24 hours a day, seven day a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat.