Sask. archbishop ‘grateful and pleased’ at prospect of papal visit

With the Pope’s acceptance of an invitation to visit Canada, local faith leaders are excited at the prospect of the visit.

Donald Bolen, Catholic Archbishop of Regina, said he’s very much looking forward to the Pope being on Canadian soil.

“I have walked with a lot of Indigenous people over the last few years who have deeply desired that Pope Francis would come to Canada in response to Call to Action 58 … to listen to them and to hear their experiences of residential schools and to respond pastorally.”

Bolen said four formerly-operated residential schools with cemeteries and 25 First Nations communities lie within the geographic boundaries of the Regina Archdiocese.

“Outreach to walking with Indigenous people is a major pastoral priority for us and a papal visit specifically geared towards healing and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is going to be immense,” he shared.

Though no details on the trip have yet been announced, Bolen said the Regina Archdiocese will certainly commemorate the occasion in some way.

“It will be a visit of national importance,” Bolen said.

Before his Canadian plans take shape, the Pope is scheduled to meet with Indigenous delegates from Canada in December at the Vatican. Bolen thinks this, too, will be productive.

“Pope Francis has always embodied a vision of church that has deeply resounded for me,” he said. “He is deeply committed to dialogue, to encounter other people. He is deeply comfortable looking at the pain of the past, pain connected to activities that the church has caused or been involved in and he’s a tremendously honest person.”

Bolen said he’s been connecting with Indigenous people, who have been sharing their hopes for the Pope’s visit. While he doesn’t want to put words in the Pope’s mouth, Bolen said he anticipates the Canadian trip will resemble Pope Francis’ visit to Bolivia in 2015, where he met with and apologized to Indigenous people there for their suffering under colonization.

“He’s going to hear similar accounts here and he’ll respond in a way that I’m sure will express sorrow and regret,” he said.”I think there’s a real space for conversation about how that visit can be the most enriching possible in terms of bringing healing and reconciliation.

“I believe that it will be a great gift for us and I’m deeply grateful and I look forward to it.”