Indigenous People

In March 2022, a Delegation of Indigenous People will travel to Rome to meet with Pope Francis to share the experiences which have negatively impacted their lives since early missionaries came to this land. Additionally, Pope Francis has accepted the invitation of the CCCB to visit Canada on a pilgrimage of healing and reconciliation. The resources on this page will assist the Catholic faithful in learning more about the history of Indigenous People and their relationship with the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Bishops of Canada are pleased to announce that 25-30 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors, and youth will meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican from December 17-20, 2021, accompanied by a small group of Canadian Bishops.

The Bishops of Canada, as a tangible expression of their commitment to walk with the Indigenous Peoples of this land along the pathway of hope, are making a nation-wide collective financial commitment to support healing and reconciliation initiatives for residential school survivors, their families, and their communities. With a target of $30 million over up to five years, this will include initiatives in every region of the country.

Today marks the beginning of Truth and Reconciliation Week. This national educational program continues the conversation about the truths of First Nations Treaties, the Métis and Inuit Land Claims, and the legacy of the residential school system. […] This is an opportunity to fulfill the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #62 on Education for Reconciliation, which calls for the development of an age-appropriate curriculum to involve students across the country in the Reconciliation process.

We, the Catholic Bishops of Canada, gathered in Plenary this week, take this opportunity to affirm to you, the Indigenous Peoples of this land, that we acknowledge the suffering experienced in Canada’s Indian Residential  Schools. […] Along with those Catholic entities which were directly involved in the operation of the schools and which have already offered their own heartfelt apologies, we, the Catholic Bishops of Canada, express our profound remorse and apologize unequivocally.

The Jesuit Provincials of Canada and the United States commit to studying the history of Indigenous boarding schools. “We write to express our deep sorrow at the recent discoveries of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at the sites of several former boarding schools in Canada. We grieve deeply the loss of human life and culture that took place at such schools, both in Canada and the United States, and we acknowledge that the Society of Jesus participated in that history.”

The discovery of the unmarked graves at former Canadian residential schools is a stark reminder of the most vulnerable and enslaved in our nations. We listen through the winds of time to the cries of hidden children, women, and men. Our breath is labored as we begin to understand the harms inflicted on the innocent. The discovery of these remains is heart-breaking and shameful. As human beings and as members of a religious congregation that served at two of these schools, we weep.

Twenty-one Catholic congregations of men and women religious across Canada have signed a letter to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) calling on them to demonstrate “clear and courageous leadership” in developing a National Catholic Reconciliation Plan.