Pope Francis made his pilgrimage to the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré outside of Quebec City on the popemobile. It is the oldest Christian pilgrimage site in North America, built in 1658.
The Pope appeared at the altar in a chasuble designed by an indigenous artist for the Mass for Reconciliation, with the intention that people may be reconciled with each other and to the Church.
After the procession, two women held up a banner that read “rescind the doctrine” referring to papal teachings from the 14th century used to justify colonization.
The Pope then offered the opening prayer in French.
In his homily, Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel reading which tells of two apostles who began returning home defeated after Jesus' death, and said Christians must resist the temptation to flee when confronted with failure.
POPE FRANCIS
In confronting the scandal of evil and the Body of Christ wounded in the flesh of our indigenous brothers and sisters, we too have experienced deep dismay; we too feel the burden of failure.
When confronted with failure in life, nothing could be worse than fleeing in order to avoid it.
Referencing the history of the Basilica, the Pope said that Christians today must continue to build the Church despite failures of the past just as generations did before them.
POPE FRANCIS
In this very place, three earlier churches stood; there were always people who refused to flee in the face of difficulties, who continued to dream, despite their own errors and those of others. They did not allow themselves to be overwhelmed by the devastating fire of a century ago, and, with courage and creativity, built this church.
Cardinal Gérald Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada, thanked Pope Francis for hearing the calls for reconciliation coming from Canada, and personally traveling to the country to accompany them in the process.
Before leaving the altar, Pope Francis turned to venerate a miraculous statue of Saint Anne holding the young child Mary in her arms which survived the 1922 fire that destroyed much of the Basilica.
Nearly one million visitors are expected to visit the shrine each year, where many leave their crutches or wheelchairs after being healed there.
JM
