Mixed emotions from residential school survivors as the Papal visit comes to a close

As Pope Francis wraps up the final leg of his weeklong Canadian visit, there are mixed emotions among residential school survivors who are reflecting on the Pontiff’s apology and his time in the country.

Marjorie Lavallee is a Catholic who practices traditional teachings. She also attended residential school in Biggar, Sask.

She travelled to Maskwacis First Nation to hear the Pontiff’s apology in person on Monday. It was her third time seeing the Pope, but she said it was an event she will never forget.

“It was an auspicious time for me, for everyone to go and celebrate the papal visit because of all the struggle we are faced with,” Lavallee said. “Mind you, it is long overdue, but the point is that it is here.”

She said the apology was a good first step but more concrete work needs to be done, not just in the church but society as a whole, to help Indigenous youth succeed.

Not everyone was accepting of the apology.

Del Crowe attended Lebret Indian Residential School in the 1960s. He said he purposely ignored the Pope’s visit all week—avoiding it on TV and only seeing a short clip of the apology on social media.

Crowe said the apology lacked substance and “meant nothing.”

“The Pope apologized for the people that did this for the members of his church. But he has to name these people. Who are they?” Crowe said.

“He also didn’t mention one thing about the motivation for the schools: the Doctrine of Discovery that justified colonization.”

The Doctrine of Discovery is a document that the Catholic Church used as a “legal and moral justification for colonial dispossession of sovereign Indigenous Nations, including First Nations in what is now Canada,” according to a report from the Assembly of First Nations.

Crowe is joining calls across the country, including protesters during a mass in Quebec City, to have the doctrine rescinded. Without that, Crowe said the Pontiff’s apology is “empty.”

“An apology is not going to go back and fix the past,” he said.

Regina’s Archbishop Don Bolen has been travelling with Pope Francis throughout his tour. The group arrived at their final stop in Iqaluit, NU on Friday afternoon.

Bolen told CTV News it has been a powerful week.

“From the apology Monday morning on Maskwacis to Quebec City to today. It’s been really powerful hearing the words spoken,” Bolen said, adding the Pope gave the church a clear mission to address system injustices moving forward.

The archbishop said the Catholic Church has plans to help support sovereign rights and promote Indigenous language, culture and traditions.

“(The mission includes) being committed to truth telling, looking openly and honestly at the past, working with survivors, listening to them, and steps towards healing,” Bolen said.

When it comes to addressing calls to rescind the Doctrine of Discovery, Bolen said discussions are underway.

“From the church’s perspective, it is papal bulls from the 15th century,” he said. “There is terrible language in those bulls and while those bulls have no authority today, it had a significant influence at the time.”

The Pope is set to fly back to Rome Friday evening.