Toronto, ON July 23, 2022 – The Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL) joyfully awaits the Holy Father Pope Francis in his first and likely his last visit to Canada, considering his age, and his reduced travel schedule. The League also calls on its supporters and friends and all Catholics in Canada to pray not only for successful engagement with our Indigenous brothers and sisters in Christ, but for true advancement of reconciliation between the Church and Indigenous peoples who suffered in residential schools or through their legacy.
We ask that Canadian Catholics also pray that the media responsibly covers the Holy Father’s visit. We pray for balanced coverage which offers the truth of the allegations of mass graves. We pray that the media responsibly addresses the negative consequences of our desecrated churches which followed widespread suggestions of genocide.
We pray that this visit allows for the successor of Peter to provide pastoral care to the thousands of Indigenous Catholics who have been scandalized themselves by the destruction and desecration of churches in Canada, many of which were situated on Indigenous land, or where Indigenous people attended Mass.
It is often lost in mainstream media coverage that the majority of those who identify as Indigenous in Canada are Christian, and the majority of these are Catholic. Let us ask for the intersessions of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Anne, St. Joseph, Our Lady of the Cape, and Our Lady of Guadalupe that the Holy Father and his pilgrimage strengthens the gathered in Christ and His Church and returns the scattered, both indigenous and non-indigenous alike.
We encourage our supporters and friends to follow the July 24-29 visit on Salt + Light or on EWTN, where Kevin Dunn, friend of the CCRL and past AGM speaker is producing the coverage of the entire papal visit alongside co-host Fr. Raymond de Souza, who has provided some of the most balanced analysis of the unmarked graves narrative over the past year in the National Post.
Most other Canadian media outlets have not been so responsible. We ask our supporters and friends to inform us of anti-Catholic bigotry that may manifest itself over the next week by reaching us through www.ccrl.ca or by emailing ccrl@ccrl.ca.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Pray for us!
St. Anne, Pray for us!
St. Joseph, Pray for us!
Our Lady of the Cape, Pray for us!
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for us!
We appeal to those of you who are financially able to help us in our mission by sending a donation to the CCRL by clicking here or by mailing a cheque to the CCRL at 2305 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M6S 1P1, or by calling the office at (416) 466-8244 or 1-844-722-2275 (CCRL).
About the CCRL
Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL) (www.ccrl.ca) assists in creating conditions within which Catholic teachings can be better understood, cooperates with other organizations in defending civil rights in Canada, and opposes defamation and discrimination against Catholics on the basis of their beliefs. The CCRL was founded in 1985 as an independent lay organization with a large nationwide membership base. The CCRL is a Canadian non-profit organization entirely supported by the generosity of its members.
To donate to the CCRL, please click here.
For further information:
Christian Domenic Elia, PhD
CCRL Executive Director
416-466-8244
@CCRLtweets