Omicron prompts ‘heartbreaking’ call to delay Rome papal summit

Postponed, not cancelled, but still heartbreaking. The long planned encounter between Indigenous Canadians and Pope Francis in Rome is being rescheduled while everybody learns more about the Omicron variant of COVID-19, according to a joint release from three Indigenous organizations involved in the trip and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“The risk of infection and the fluid nature of the evolving global situation presents too great a threat at this time,” the parties said in a Dec. 7 news release.

The trip was thrown into doubt early Tuesday morning when Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald told an online meeting of the AFN her delegation would not attend at this time.

“The health and wellbeing of our delegates, their families and communities is paramount to us, and we will not put anyone in harm’s way if we can help it,” she said.

The AFN move appeared to catch the other two Indigenous organizations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Metis National Council, by surprise.

“I think there was just a little bit of miscommunication, you know,” Metis National Council communications officer Janna Van De Sande told The Catholic Register. “And that happens with a lot of different players involved in this trip. We’re trying our best to make sure that everything is being communicated.”

The three Indigenous organizations and the Canadian bishops’ conference were immediately plunged into emergency meetings to decide whether any part of the trip could go ahead. Officials came out of that meeting with a statement that emphasized the safety of elderly residential school survivors and their communities in the face of a more virulent strain of COVID now spreading across the globe.

“We take comfort in the desire, conveyed to us by the Holy See, that the safety of the delegation should inform any decision to move forward. It is also important to note that the delegation is postponed, not cancelled,” said the communique at the end of the meeting.

The postponement comes just one week before delegation was scheduled to fly to Rome and have meetings with Pope Francis from Dec. 17 to 20.

“The decision to postpone was a heartbreaking one, made after careful consultation with delegates, family members, community leaders, public health officials and the leadership of each of the three National Indigenous Organizations,” said the joint release.

This isn’t the first time the meeting has been put off. Planning for Indigenous delegates to go to Rome was put in cold storage just after COVID prompted global lockdowns early in 2020.

When unmarked graves were discovered first in Tk’emlúpsemc Secwepemc territory next to the old Kamloops Indian Residential school in May, then at several other former residential schools through the summer, planning for the trip was re-ignited.

The Canadian bishops, who were financing the trip, have emphasized that Pope Francis and the Holy See want to see it rescheduled.

“We understand that the Holy See is very much committed to rescheduling this visit in the new year and we look forward to the opportunity for Indigenous elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors and youth to participate in private meetings with Pope Francis,” said the joint release.

The Indigenous delegates to Rome were to have at least three hours of direct, face-to-face conversation with Pope Francis spread over four days, topped off with their presence at an hour-long general audience.

The December meetings were expected to “provide a foundation” for a future papal visit to Canada, a CCCB spokesman said last month.

Though unconfirmed by the CCCB, Radio Canada’s Charles Le Bourgeois reports that CCCB vice-president and Calgary Bishop William McGrattan, Winnipeg Archbishop Richard Gagnon, Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith, and likely Regina Archbishop Don Bolen will represent the Canadian bishops on the trip. CCCB president Bishop Raymond Poisson is also expected to attend.

The Assembly of First Nations has revealed that its portion of the delegation will number 13 people, including former Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner Chief Wilton Littlechild. Littlechild was the driving force behind Call to Action #58, which asked Pope Francis to apologize on Canadian soil within one year of publication of the TRC final report. The 2015 reported included 94 Calls to Action.

Other members of the AFN delegation include spiritual adviser and Anishinaabe elder Fred Kelly, former AFN Grand Chief Phil Fontaine, and Northwest Territories executive committee member Norman Yakeleya of the Dene people.

Current AFN National Chief RoseAnne Archibald had previously ruled out going to Rome with the delegation.

The CCCB was waiting until all details are confirmed before revealing the complete roster of delegates, which it said would number between 30 and 35 Indigenous representatives. 

The CCCB was to shoulder the costs for the trip.

The Catholic Register with B.C. Catholic files.