The path of the Church, arising from her very nature, is that of reconciliation. Pope Francis,
in the course of his “Walking Together” pilgrimage to Canada, reflecting on the teaching of
Saint Paul that the Church is the “living body of reconciliation,” offered these words: “The
word ‘reconciliation’ is in fact practically synonymous with the word ‘Church’. It comes from
the word ‘council’, and it means ‘meet again in council.’ The Church is the house where we
‘conciliate’ anew, where we meet to start over and to grow together. It is the place where we
stop thinking as individuals and acknowledge that we are brothers and sisters of one another.
Where we look one another in the eye, accept the other’s history and culture, and allow the
mystique of togetherness, so pleasing to the Holy Spirit, to foster the healing of wounded
memories” (Meeting of Pope Francis with the Indigenous Peoples and members of the parish
community at the Sacred Heart Church, Edmonton, July 25, 2022).
These letters published by the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops are too large for our website but here is the direct link to the letters.
