(Ottawa, ON) July 27, 2022 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) recognizes the significance of Pope Francis’s visit to Canada and the many complex feelings that may arise among Residential School Survivors, their families, and their communities as a response to this historic event. Pope Francis’s visit to Edmonton, Quebec and Iqaluit comes on the heels of his Spring meetings with Residential School Survivors and other Indigenous leaders at the Vatican. He has labelled this tour of Canada a “pilgrimage of penance;” an effort to make amends for the Catholic Church’s role in Residential Schools. The Catholic Church ran the majority of Residential Schools within Canada, which 150,000 Indigenous children attended; and where horrific abuse and the attempted erasure of Indigenous cultural identity occurred.

The LHF appreciates that for some Survivors and their loved ones, the Pope’s visit is an essential part of their healing process and is a powerful gesture of reconciliation. For others, however, this visit cannot rectify the horrific pain and suffering that generations of Indigenous peoples have suffered at the hands of the Catholic Church. Ultimately, the LHF stands by Survivors and is there to support them, irrespective of what path their healing journey takes. All Canadians must remember that it is only because of their resilience and commitment to the truth that this historic trip has occurred.

“This visit presents a perfect opportunity for Pope Francis and the Catholic Church to take meaningful steps towards Reconciliation by acknowledging the pivotal role that the entire church took within establishing and sustaining Residential Schools, instead of just shifting blame to individuals who were involved with Residential Schools,” said Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel at the LHF. “We are hopeful that this trip will be the first step of many taken by the Catholic Church to make amends for the horrors they helped to inflict upon generations of Indigenous peoples. We at the LHF will be there along every step of the way, supporting Survivors, and continuing to educate all Canadians about what occurred at Residential Schools.

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 21 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and impact of the Residential and Day School Systems, and the Sixties Scoop on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Survivors, their descendants, and their communities. This is one of the ways in which the LHF is working to promote hope and healing in Canada. The LHF is also committed to encouraging people to address discrimination and injustice in order to contribute to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples and to foster Reconciliation.

The LHF has more than 28 educational, mobile exhibitions that promote awareness of Indigenous history that are free to borrow and is working on making exhibitions available online. LHF also has curriculum for grades K-12 and for adults, Activity Guides, Workshops and Training, and Podcasts all aimed at educating Canadians about Indigenous history. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding so as to eliminate racism against Indigenous Peoples.