‘Cultivate our roots’: Pope holds giant public mass in Edmonton football stadium

Emotional support or assistance for those who are affected by the residential school system can be found at Indian Residential School Survivors Society toll-free 1 (800) 721-0066 or 24-hr Crisis Line 1 (866) 925-4419.

Pope Francis spoke about the importance of grandparents and the elderly as thousands gathered for a public mass at Edmonton’s football stadium Tuesday, a day after the pontiff apologized for abuses committed at Catholic-run residential schools.

“In the fog of forgetfulness that overshadows our turbulent times, it is essential to cultivate our roots, to pray for and with our forebears, to dedicate time to remember and guard their legacy,” Francis said in Spanish through an interpreter.

“This is how a family tree grows; this is how the future is built.”

Francis blessed and kissed babies and young children who were handed to him as he was driven through Commonwealth Stadium ahead of the mass.

He stood in the popemobile as it slowly made its way around the football field, with thousands of people in attendance. Cheers came from the stands and an Indigenous drum group played for his arrival.

Pam Kootnay, from the nearby Enoch community, did the first reading at the service. Indigenous participation was incorporated in numerous ways throughout the mass.

The event is taking place on the feast day of St. Anne, who was the grandmother of Jesus. It is a day of particular reverence for Indigenous Catholics.

Later in the day, Francis is expected to travel to Lac Ste. Anne, northwest of Edmonton, to take part in the community’s annual pilgrimage, which regularly welcomes tens of thousands of Indigenous participants.

Related: Residential school survivors share mixed emotions following Pope Francis’ apology: ‘I’m still so hurt’

Edith Didzena held a photo of her mother, Regina Etthidzine, as she sat in the stadium with her children for the mass. Didzena, who lives in Bushe River on the Dene Tha’ First Nation in Alberta, said her mother went to residential school but died before she could hear the Pope’s apology.

Acknowledging past wrongdoings doesn’t erase what happened, Didzena said, but it helps start healing.

“It just helps me to deal because I lost my language and my culture. Even though I didn’t go to residential school, I was affected by it,” she said.

On Monday, during a visit to the community of Maskwacis, south of Edmonton, the Pope apologized to residential school survivors and their families for the role member of the church played in the cultural destruction and forced assimilation of Indigenous Peoples. He also begged forgiveness for evil acts committed.

“In the face of this deplorable evil, the church kneels before God and implores his forgiveness for the sins of her children … I humbly beg forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against the Indigenous Peoples,” Francis said Monday through a translator at the community’s powwow grounds.

Patty Crofton, a member of Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba, said she did not sleep well after hearing the apology because it brought back difficult memories. She went to day school and her parents went to residential schools.

“I am on my own healing journey from all of this,” she said before the mass.

Crofton said she didn’t fully accept the apology. It didn’t feel like it was from the Pope’s heart, she said, because it was a prepared address. Crofton, however, said it’s up to each person to accept the Pope’s words.

“It’s better to get this out there for future generations and hopefully this will never, ever happen again to anybody,” she said.

The pontiff also said there must be a serious investigation into what took place. He called the overall effects of the policies linked to residential schools “catastrophic.”

Organizers have said holding a mass on the second day of a papal visit is noteworthy, but Francis wanted to demonstrate that his priority was to first address the legacy of the residential school system and Indigenous people on their lands.

About 65,000 free tickets were available for the mass but many rows of seats were empty, particularly in the upper decks.

A team of 460 priests and 56 deacons also delivered holy communion at various stations throughout the stadium.

Later in the week, Francis is set to travel to Quebec City for meetings with Indigenous Peoples and to host another mass. He is also to travel to Iqaluit.