Canada’s political leaders remember Pope Francis as a humble leader with a deep moral obligation and spiritual courage to help the most vulnerable in the world.
“Today, the world lost a man who deeply touched the lives of billions of people,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said during a campaign stop at Charlottetown on Monday.
“Pope Francis was a voice of moral clarity, spiritual courage and unlimited compassion,” added Carney. “It was, in many ways, the conscience of the world, and never hesitated to challenge the strongest in the name of the most vulnerable.”
Pope Francis died at 7:35 am local time on Monday, said the Vatican in a video statement. He was 88 years old.
His 12 -year -old papacy marked the beginning of a more open and cozy Catholic Church that prioritized empathy for the poor and deprived of their rights, including indigenous victims of residential schools administered by the Church of Canada.
“During his papal visit to Canada in 2022, his apology for residential schools was a crucial step to advance his journey towards his journey towards significant reconciliation,” added Carney.
In July 2022, Francis did what he called a “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada, visiting Edmonton, the city of Quebec and Iqaluit, where he emphasized reconciliation and apologized for the members of the Catholic Church that cooperated with the “devastating” policy of the indigenous residential schools of the government.
He said that his apology was only the first step to make peace with indigenous peoples in Canada, and that a serious investigation should be carried out in the facts of what happened in the past.
“Papa Francisco apologized to our people. There was a strong resistance to an apology. But he did it anyway,” said the assembly of the head of the first nations, Cindy Woodhouse, Napinak, in the publication on Facebook.
“I thank you for that and for the work of your life here on Earth,” he added. “Rest in peace”.
In a statement, Governor General Mary Simon said that she and her husband Whit Fraser were “deeply sad upon learning of Pope Francis.”
“His legacy of humility, social justice and environmental administration has left an indelible brand in humanity,” he said.
Simon said that Francis’s visit to Canada in 2022 “was a testimony of his commitment to respect, dialogue and collaboration between cultures and religions, values that he appreciated throughout his papacy.
“May your soul rest in peace, and that their teachings continue to inspire us to build a better world for everyone.”
‘Not only did he preach humility and compassion, he lived it’
The conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said that the “humility, compassion and firm faith of Pope Francis had a deep impact on millions of Canadians and others around the world of all the history of faith.”
Pailievre also highlighted Francis’s efforts during his 2022 visit towards reconciliation with the indigenous peoples of Canada and said that his “humble service and love message” will continue to inspire a world that needs hope. “
The leader of the NDP, Jagmeet Singh, issued a statement saying that Pope Francis “showed the world that faith can be a powerful force to justice.”
“He spoke clearly about poverty, inequality and climatic crisis, and challenged political and economic leaders to put people before profits,” said Singh.
“Not only did he preach humility and compassion, he lived it. And in doing so, he won respect for millions, including many beyond the Catholic Church.”
‘Rich, diverse, full of spirit’
Singh described the apology of Pope Francis to the survivors of the residential school in 2022 a significant step “towards truth and responsibility”
“His death is a loss for all those who believe in dignity, justice and take care of each other. His example will not be forgotten,” said Singh.
Bloc Québécois leader, Yves-François Blanchet, also expressed his sympathies in an X publication.
“I extend my condolences to the Quebecers of the Christian and Catholic faith that are united to the institution and the person of the Pope,” he said. “That I experience this moment in Serenity.”
Carney said that he has taken guidance from a story that Pope Francis shared in 2014 in which the Pontiff compared humanity with wine, “rich, diverse, full of spirit” and the market to Grappa, “distilled, intense and sometimes disconnected.”
“He reminded us that markets have no values, people do it, and it is our responsibility to close the gap, turn that grappa into wine,” added Carney. “I join all Catholics to reflect on their death and commit myself to fulfill their challenge.”
