Hard truth said out loud deserves top spot leading today's march in meaningless confession and repentance week.
This is how I saw the events of today unfold in the pilgrimage of penance that never was.
This continuing saga played out in Quebec City, a song and dance performance chronicled in a long deliberate narrative for the common people. First act was strike up the band. The all-importants... pope, Trudeau, Governor General Simon and maybe another one or two lined up to inspect or maybe waiting for a good place to jump into the line dance as the band played on.
Found I was distracted by the big band. Not so much the music, but the so very many guys in tall hot hot black wicked long fur hats. Some had fur hanging below their nose. I'm not sure what that is about, seriously. It made my nose tickle watching it lol.
The venue was the Citadelle of Quebec, small and intimate compared to previous begging sites. Song and drumming opened the ceremony, so lovely and respectful. Gifts of sweet grass and a wild turkey feather were presented to the pope as part of a beautiful virtual circle in spirit ceremony. The Native presenter lovingly mentioned he only recently acquired the language and though still learning, his goal is to pass as much as he can forward.
The Govenor General spit some bs into the mic about acknowledging the land as stolen, though she didn't use those words or even say sorry. The truth she mentioned in passing was to the survivors healing journey taking strength and resolve.
A point of contention I have held and triggered again tonight by her was the mention of murdered children simply as those who never made it home. The pope referred to it as an incidental quip in the same context during his bs holier than thou speech earlier in the week. Um, those babies didn't go out for a stroll and get lost, wtf? They were stolen, tortured and murdered during failed assimilation and genocide practice. Many are buried in unmarked graves not made a mention of throughout the week. Not one time. Pathetic disconnect is on full display.
The pope's word salad spewed and intertwined symbolically with the colorful maple leaf and tree throughout his reading. He spoke about some good native things and how tragic the circumstance has been, short and sweet we're sorry bs with no plan of action other than pretty words. I did hear sumtin sumtin to the effect of native people have rights, but with slim to none follow up that I noted. I imagine the guys sitting all in a row like special guests in the front wearing the red caps and dressing gowns are the bishops in charge of the whatevah now.
The main text really spoke to world affairs, immigration, multiculturalism, and funny slipped in there, democracy highlighting Native culture as a model. In my view, complimentary niceties surrounded with shame and guilt forgiveness begs. Oh, and lottsa conception to death mentions. Ummm...did I say disconnect to the objective of the game yet? Wow.
One more significant non-mention I noticed from the white-capped guy was stark. He waded through a laundry list of worldly issues, and totally ignored was the nefarious stealing, abusing, molesting, etc....every bit of the criminality reeked on generations of Indigenous in America including murdering of American Indigenous children in the name who knows, the imperial sky fairy.
The final bullshitter today was Trudeau with cordial greetings and candied words. He spoke to the church's role in running the residential schools of horror. He spoke to the absurd realities that took place and actually said OUT LOUD that sexual abuse had occurred. I was waiting for the guy in the white cap to fall outta his chair! Trudeau went into some religious bs but no accountability for anyone was mentioned. Notably, there was not a word of the Canadian government's role in abuse or their sanctioning such activity, essentially lying by omission and in front of the pope lol! Damned be you Trudeau, better go to confession.
A final huge shout out to the Indigenous in the room where it happened. Courageous, wise and determined are they, and much more. Seen clearly to me was a you can't fool me, your talk clashes with the realities of life past, present and future. I viewed a few slow claps at the conclusion, but saw no true applause from those who mattered, that is the Indigenous present.