The Pope asks in Canada not to repeat the “violence and marginalization” of indigenous people

Pope Francis took the first mass bath of his visit to Canada on Tuesday, where he will remain until Friday, with the mass he presided over at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, capital of the State of Alberta. Some 50,000 people participated in the ceremony, among whom there was a broad representation of indigenous groups, since Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s stay in the North American country has as its main objective the request for forgiveness from the native peoples for the abuses committed during the evangelization . His history of “violence and marginalization” by Western colonization, he reaffirmed, “must not be repeated.”

After the ‘mea culpa’ that he intoned the day before during a meeting with leaders of the main Canadian aboriginal communities, the Pontiff took advantage of the homily of the Eucharist in Edmonton, delivered in Spanish, to continue with the self-criticism for the role played by religion Catholic. He affirmed that the Church must never “oppress the conscience of others” nor “ever chain the freedom of those close to us”. It is advice that he extended to all the faithful, encouraging them in particular to “respect the people who preceded us and have been entrusted to us, precious treasures that guard a story greater than themselves.”

Given that this Tuesday was the feast of Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, parents of the Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus, which is why Grandparents’ Day is celebrated, the Pope devoted a large part of his homily to this issue, inviting a once again not to rule out older people because they are “not necessary” from a functional point of view. Helped in the liturgy by the Archbishop of Edmonton, Richard Smith, due to his knee problems, the Pontiff wished for a future in which the value of people is not judged “only by what they produce” and that is not indifferent “towards who, already advanced with age, need more time, listening and attention».

“Generate life”

After recalling how our elders wanted a “more just, fraternal and supportive” world, he invited those present to make their wishes their own to try “not to disappoint them.” For this reason, he urged to ask about the meaning of life, which is not based on “generative criteria” such as “the money that is earned, the career that is carried out” or success and recognition in front of others. Instead, the objective must be to try to “generate life”, working for brotherhood and peace.

“The mystery of human life is this: we are all someone’s children, we were generated and formed by someone, but when we become adults we are also called to generate, to be fathers, mothers and grandparents of someone else,” he said.

Bergoglio’s agenda on his third day in Canada was completed with a visit to Lake Santa Ana, west of Edmonton, where one of the pilgrimages that brings together the most faithful Catholics in all of North America takes place every year. This lake was already a sacred place for indigenous peoples before the arrival of European settlers.