Manitoba’s Catholic community is set to honour the life and legacy of Pope Francis, the late pontiff who delivered a historic apology for the church’s role in Canada’s residential school system.
The Pope died Easter Monday, the Vatican announced as bells tolled across Rome. It was later revealed he died of a stroke and irreversible heart failure.
He was 88 years old.
Winnipeg Archbishop Murray Chatlain said Pope Francis’ passing is bittersweet.
“We’ve been really gifted by his leadership. There’s no perfect pope and no perfect bishop, I know, but there are good men that are trying, so I was really grateful for that.”
A memorial mass is being held in Winnipeg at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at St. Mary’s Cathedral on 353 St. Mary Ave.
Chatlain said all are welcome to pray for Francis and thank God for him.
The archbishop met Pope Francis twice during his tenure. Each time, he was struck by Francis’ attentiveness and ability to connect with each person he met.
Chatlain believes Pope Francis will be remembered as a leader who marked a return to simplicity, possessing a down-to-earth quality so perfectly encapsulated by the humble Fiat he travelled in during papal visits. Conversely, his predecessors opted for “Popemobiles” made by Mercedes-Benz or Range Rover.
Archbishop Chatlain also pointed to Francis’ work highlighting the importance of the environment, the exploitation of migrants, and the attention he paid to Canada.
“His legacy around Indigenous issues here in Canada—a tremendous leader in terms of his meeting with people in Rome and then coming very quickly to be present with us here in Canada.”
Francis remembered for historic apology
Indigenous studies professor Niigaan Sinclair said Francis’ 2022 apology for the church’s role in the residential school system, one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 calls to action, made a tremendous impact on Indigenous people and Catholics, alike.
It was a long-awaited acknowledgement Sinclair didn’t think was possible in his lifetime.
“He recognized genocide was the purpose of residential schools and so therefore, it was later then unanimously recognized in Canada in large part because of the Pope’s visit in July of 2022.”
Sinclair said the apology started a monumental process—one that the church could take up, in part by helping in the search for unmarked graves at residential school sites.
“It is crucial that the church continue the process, particularly in the Canadian context, to have a progressive vision, a vision that is inclusive, and to expand the paths that Pope Francis took the church upon.”
Challenges ahead for new pope
With Francis’ death, the church’s cardinals will descend on Vatican City to elect a new Pope – a process that played out in dramatic fashion on movie screens in a 2025 Oscar-winning film.
“I think that everybody because of the movie “Conclave” has a better idea of how the process goes, though that is a movie version, but we really pray that the Holy Spirit continues to find beautiful popes for us,” Archbishop Chatlain said.
The archbishop said the new pope will have many challenges in navigating difficult political waters.
Still, he believes the new pontiff can speak truth to power, offer wisdom, and challenge the long-term thinking of both society and government.
Sinclair worries Francis’ reputation as a progressive, sometimes radical spiritual leader will spark a step towards a more conservative predecessor who would undo moves made towards reconciliation.
“My hope is that the more progressive in the Catholic Church, the more reasonable sense, the more Jesus-centred sense around love and kindness and inclusivity will take leadership in the church.”
