Indigenous peoples 'a blessing to the Church and Canadian society,' say bishops

(OSV News) -- Indigenous peoples are "a blessing to the Church and Canadian society," said the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The bishops shared their thoughts in a June 19 statement, available in both English and French, ahead of National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Established in 1996 as National Aboriginal Day and renamed in 2017, the June 21 holiday celebrates the traditions, cultures and contributions of Canada's First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

The date was selected to coincide with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, an occasion that "holds deep spiritual and cultural significance for many Indigenous Peoples, marking a time of renewal, connection and celebration," according to the website of Canada's Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada agency.

The observance is part of the larger "Celebrate Canada" initiative, which also includes Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, Canadian Multiculturalism Day, Canada Day and National Acadian Day, all "opportunities to celebrate our ethnic, linguistic, ethnocultural and regional diversity, which helps make Canada a truly inclusive and outward-looking country," according to the Canadian government website.

In their statement, the Canadian bishops said that "Catholics across the country are invited to remember and reflect" on the late Pope Francis' legacy in healing relations between the Catholic Church and Indigenous peoples, damaged by the church's role in the residential school system.

The government's residential schools, many of them operated by religious orders, sought to isolate and forcibly strip Indigenous children of their culture and language, while assimilating them to a European way of life, including a European expression of Christianity. Thousands of students were physically, mentally and sexually abused in the process.

The entire residential system upended an original evangelization by the church in the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized missionaries living among the people they serve, speaking their language, educating their people on their territory, and cultivating an indigenous expression of Catholicism through their culture.

In spring 2022, several delegates from Canada's First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples met with Pope Francis in Rome, ahead of the pope's July 2022 pilgrimage to Canada to formally apologize on Indigenous land for the church's role in Canada's residential school system in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In an April 21 statement following Pope Francis' death, the Métis National Council said the apology would be "remembered as a significant turning point in the relationship between the Métis Nation and the Roman Catholic Church," adding that "Pope Francis's words opened the door to healing."

At the same time, the council stressed that "reconciliation is not a destination, it is a lifelong journey," and expressed hope that the church would continue on "the path toward truth, justice, and healing."

National Indigenous Peoples Day "invites us to open our hearts and minds, listen carefully and with humility, and deepen our understanding of Indigenous Peoples," said the Canadian bishops in their statement. "As members of the Church, we are called to build relationships rooted in truth, justice, and compassion. May this day be a time of reflection, gratitude, and renewed commitment to walking together in a spirit of hope and solidarity toward reconciliation."