Journey Presses on

In July 2022 Pope Francis travelled to Canada on what he called a “penitential pilgrimage,” apologizing for the Catholic Church’s role in the Indian residential school system. One of Francis’s most symbolically charged interventions, the visit has been understood as an attempt to align his broader legacy of pastoral humility, attention to the margins, and critique of colonial power with concrete acts of repentance.

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.

Placing sharp critique alongside cautious hope, refusing to harmonize perspectives, The Journey Presses On explores the moral legacy of religious leadership in an era of historical reckoning and considers ways the Catholic Church in Canada might open pathways toward genuine reconciliation.

Doris M. Kieser is associate professor of theology at St Joseph's College, University of Alberta.

Jane Barter is professor of religion and culture at the University of Winnipeg.