Leaders from across Alberta reflect on Pope Francis's legacy of compassion, reconciliation
CBC
Father Cristino Bouvette used to think of the Pope as someone only seen on TV, in photos, or at best someone you merely catch a glimpse of as he passes by in a crowded piazza.
But when Pope Francis made his papal visit to Canada in 2022, Bouvette was part of the entourage for the head of the Catholic Church over five days, an experience he's reflecting on after the Pope's death on Monday.
"To be having ongoing interactions with him, to turn a corner and him be sitting there in his wheelchair, that was always just a very surreal experience," said Bouvette, a Roman Catholic priest from Calgary.
Pope Francis, 88, died Monday. His 12-year papacy is being remembered by many on Monday for its empathy for marginalized people and for ushering in a more open, welcoming Catholic Church.
In Canada, Pope Francis is likely best remembered for his visit to the country in 2022. During this trip, Bouvette served as his national liturgical director, helping co-ordinate with the Vatican and Canadian bishops to plan what the Pope called a "penitential pilgrimage" emphasizing reconciliation with Indigenous people.
During his visit, Pope Francis apologized for the conduct of some members of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada's residential school system. He later said what he described about the residential school system and its assimilation of Indigenous people amounted to genocide.
Bouvette, a priest of Indigenous heritage, said he saw his part in the papal visit as a personal contribution to help guide the Catholic Church toward reconciliation, and saw his work as something he could do out of respect for his family, as his Cree grandmother was a residential school survivor.
On Monday, he remembered Pope Francis's meetings with Indigenous people.
"To be able to stand back and watch those [meetings] unfold was deeply impactful for me, because I knew that in a brief 10-second exchange, something life-changing was happening in some cases for people who had spent the majority of their life living under somewhat of a heavy darkness from some of their past experiences," said Bouvette.
"Not that in a 10-second encounter that all was just washed away, but I think it shone a new light on that darkness."
Bishop William McGrattan of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary said he remembers Pope Francis's apology as a profound moment during a historic, spiritual visit.
"I was there amidst many of the people, the crowds, and as he was speaking these words of apology and forgiveness, you could see that it truly moved people," said McGrattan.
In Pope Francis's teachings, McGrattan said, the Catholic leader touched on issues of justice, environmental stewardship and solidarity among people and religions. He also praised the Pope's vision of how the Catholic Church can evolve.
Pope Francis's words always had a sense of authenticity and sincerity, remembers Peter Baltutis. An associate professor of history and religious studies at St. Mary's University in Calgary, Baltutis heard Pope Francis in person at the leader's first Palm Sunday Mass in 2013.
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