Thanks to dialogue with Indigenous peoples, “the Church has acquired a greater awareness of  their sufferings, past and present, due to the expropriation of their lands … as well as the  policies of forced assimilation, promoted by the governmental authorities of the time, intended to eliminate their Indigenous cultures,” according to a “Joint Statement” issued by the Dicastery  for Culture and Education and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and published on Thursday.   ...read more

Speaking of historical injustices and war crimes in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis says "it is easy to be tempted to turn the page, to say that all these things happened  long ago and we should look to the future. For God’s sake, no! We can never move  forward without remembering the past; we do not progress without an honest and  unclouded memory." (Fratelli Tutti #249)  ...read more

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (“CCCB”) is grateful that the Dicastery for Culture and Education and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development have issued a Joint Statement addressing the concept of the “Doctrine of Discovery,” ...read more

1. In fidelity to the mandate received from Christ, the Catholic Church strives to promote universal fraternity and respect for the dignity of every human being. 2. For this reason, in the course of history the Popes have condemned acts of violence, oppression, social injustice and slavery, including those committed against Indigenous peoples. ...read more

As a freelance filmmaker, I recently worked for Salt + Light Media covering the Pope’s trip to Canada. As part of this trip, we were working on the second documentary in a series about reconciliation, what it means for the Church here in Canada, and how it can be brought about.  In advance of the ...read more

Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, offered some insights on Pope Francis' visit to Canada during a press briefing on July 20. ...read more