Single Issue: $1.00 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40030139 CATHOLIC JOURNAL Vol. 94 No. 27 December 21/28, 2016 No paper invited to Saskatchewan next week

The Prairie Messenger will By Kiply Lukan Yaworski and society. We want to be a part Canadian soil for Catholic in - op Murray Chatlain of Keewatin- be closed until Jan. 2, of the healing and reconciliation volvement in residential schools Le Pas. resuming weekly with the SASKATOON — The process,” said Bolen. and the abuse of indigenous chil - “We hope that the Holy Father, Jan. 4, 2017, issue. Catholic bishops of Saskatchewan The bishops of Saskatchewan dren that happened there. Cath- coming and meeting with Abo - remain hopeful about a recent affirmed that the principal pur - olic dioceses and religious orders riginal, Inuit and Métis represen - Returning to Spirit invitation asking Pope Francis to pose of a visit by Pope Francis operated about 60 per cent of the tatives from all of Canada, where visit the province to meet with would be to meet with, listen to government-mandated schools he may express an apology and Since 2001, Returning to indigenous leaders, elders and and address indigenous people. that operated in Canada for over a communicate the whole church’s Spirit has shone a hopeful residential school survivors. The decision to support the century. commitment to be in real dia - light on the darkness that is Canadian bishops were recent - request for the pope to come to “We continue to grow in our logue with each other, would be a the legacy of Indian ly informed that Pope Francis will Canada — and the idea that such a awareness of the negative pieces great blessing” Chatlain said. residential schools . not be visiting Canada in 2017, visit might be particularly appropri - of our colonial history. We recog - “Our fervent prayer is that a — page 3 but may consider a visit in 2018 ate for Saskatchewan — first arose nize more openly the good and visit by Pope Francis could pro - or 2019. out of conversations with indige - the negative parts our church has mote a mature, ongoing relation - Congress Day “Pope Francis receives many nous leaders in this province as the played in the historical encounter ship. This visit may act as a catal- invitations, far more than he can church grappled with the Calls to between the colonizers and those Professional boundaries, accept,” said Archbishop Donald Action of the Truth and Recon - being colonized,” said Arch bish - — ENCOUNTER , page 12 ethical dilemmas and self- Bolen of Regina, “but we remain ciliation Commission (TRC), and care were explored during a hopeful. Our indigenous brothers sought ways to join First Nations recent Congress Day for and sisters have asked him to and Métis people in the work of parish and ministry leaders come to Canada, and we support healing, reconciliation and relation - in Saskatoon. them in this request. ship-building. — page 5 “It is our deepest hope and The TRC Final Report re - Christmas giving prayer that this will help to bring leased in June 2015 presented 94 healing to some of the deepest Calls to Action, including a About 180 students from wounds in the Canadian church request for a papal apology on inner-city Saskatoon schools did something they may not Syrian families struggle have had the opportunity to do before: shop for with new life in Canada Christmas gifts to give to family members. — page 5 By Michael Swan Whenever it was safe, Warhoti The Catholic Register took her daughter Patil to one of Holiday film guide the three Armenian schools in (CCN) — Before Aleppo still operating. The other The commercial side of Christmas last year, Wartohi five had closed. She had watched Christmas seems to arrive Myrdijian had to worry about the the Armenian population of earlier every year, and so bombs falling on either side of her Aleppo shrink from 80,000 down CNS/ L’Osservatore Romano too holiday-themed movies house in Aleppo. S