When Pope Francis is in the USA next week, the Assembly of First Nations National Chief wants to meet with him.
On Friday, Chief Perry Bellegarde said Pope Francis is set to be in New York on September 25 and that he’s sent a letter to secure a meeting at that time.
Bellegarde has a lot of heavy hitters behind him, saying he worked with the National Congress of American Indians and Truth and Reconciliation commissioners, who jointly signed off on the letter requesting the meeting. He says the Catholic Church of Canada supports his actions as well.
He says the first priority is to get an apology for the Catholic Church’s role in the implementation and operations of residential schools.
“So I’m hoping it does come to reality because we want the pope to, number one, apologize formally to the residential school survivors and their families,” he said.
Bellegarde says he also wants Pope Francis to repeal a racist papal doctrine that has influenced modern countries to claim land.
“That’s the basis upon which countries say they have a claim to the land and resources, which in our belief is false and illegal, and racist,” he said.
“To come along and plant a flag and say it’s now your country’s is really an illegal and racist doctrine and lack of recognition about the inherent rights, the aboriginal rights, and the treaty rights of First Nations people.”
If that meeting doesn’t go ahead, Bellegarde says he’s prepared to head to the Vatican.