The Journey Presses On: Pope Francis’s Apology to Residential School Survivors in Canada

Friday, December 4, 2026 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm EST (GMT -05:00)
Book cover for The Journey Presses On

Please join us for this livestream event on Zoom.

The Journey Presses On brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars and church leaders to examine what this apology did and did not accomplish. Rather than offering a single judgment, this collection of seven essays traces the apology’s reception across diverse communities and traditions, revealing both moments of genuine encounter and the persistence of colonial structures within church and society. Positioned at the intersection of political theology, decolonial studies, and public ethics, the book situates Francis’s act within longer histories of ecclesial apologies, settler colonialism, and reconciliation efforts in Canada. The contributors analyze the apology’s language, gestures, silences, and institutional aftermath, including debates over responsibility, the Doctrine of Discovery, and the gap between symbolic repentance and material justice.

This lecture is co-sponsored by the Pope Francis Institute.