Indigenous Services Canada noted that the 24-hour crisis support line received double the average amount of calls during the Pope’s visit. Indigenous peoples cannot merely “forgive and forget” – parents lost their children, their communities, cultural languages, ways of life, and their being. Such an intense part of Indigenous identity cannot be repaired by one Papal visit.

Thus, the Pope’s presence in Canada began his Trauma Tour, a quest to repair the Catholic Church’s public image while providing lip service to Indigenous peoples. I am a settler, non-Indigenous, and cannot and will not assume the emotions and reactions of Indigenous peoples. With this in mind, I understand the political theatre involved in the Pope’s visit and the underlying lack of government action. There is much to be done; unfortunately, there is barely any political will to address it.