Pope Francis’ conversation with Canada’s Jesuits is published by Jesuit review’s La Civilta Cattolica, during which the Pope highlighted the power of synodality, concern for Haiti, and the Church’s love and concern for families.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
In Québec, Pope Francis met with his Jesuit confreres ministering in Canada for a private moment of conversation.
On Thursday, the Jesuit review La Civilta Cattolica published the exchange between the Jesuit Pope and his fellow Jesuits which took place in the Archbishop’s Residence in Québec City on the last day of the Pope’s penitential pilgrimage to Canada.
The Holy Father normally reserves a private moment to meet with his Jesuit brothers during his Apostolic Journeys, and responds to questions in an informal conversation with those gathered.
In the conversation, the main themes which emerged were synodality, great concern for Haiti, love for family and the liturgy.
“The Church, when it is unified, it can work miracles,” the Pope said, when reflecting on the power of effective synodality.
Concern for Haiti
During the colloquium, a Jesuit confrère brought attention to the tragic situation in Haiti.
The conversation also touched on the Church’s concern and love for families, and the Pope lamented how despite the richness of the text of the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the family, that some focus on one note, rather than pay attention to how the Church treasures and wishes to help families.
During the Pope’s Apostolic Journey, he repeatedly asked forgiveness for the wrongdoings committed, and has called for researching how these tragedies occurred so that they may never happen again.
After his meeting with the Jesuits and a subsequent meeting with indigenous, the Pope concluded his time in Québec and boarded the papal plane en route to the Arctic city of Iqaluit, in Nunavut Territory, for a few hours, where met Inuit survivors of residential schools, and young people and elderly, before taking his return flight to Rome.
