History of Catholic Missionaries in the United States / Canada – Canadian Inuit: Many Testimonies Collected During Polar Voyages

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

IPA

Fermo (Agenzia Fides) – “An exceptional meeting that reflects a fundamental stage in the history of the new relationship between the indigenous people of Canada and the Catholic Church”. Renato Zavatti, President of the Polar Geographical Institute of Fermo S. Zavatti, reached out to Fides and said he was interested in recent meetings between Pope Francis and representatives of the Canadian Inuit, especially Métis and Inuit. , With the bishops of the Canadian Church (see Agency Fights 28/3/2022).
“Our organization – Zavatti continues – is ready to cooperate and encourage all efforts to foster dialogue and reconciliation in light of the tragic events recorded in residential schools. The Catholic Church has already taken significant steps in this direction, and we are committed to re-establishing good relations.”
Founded in 1944 by Silvio Savatti, Italy’s oldest research institute on the Arctic and its people, its archives contain numerous testimonies collected during polar voyages that tell the story of Catholic missionaries among the Inuit Canadians. You can learn more about the history of the “mysterious snowmen”.
“We look forward to continuing the Church’s commitment to reconciliation during the public observance of the Holy Father on Friday, April 1, 2022.” We hope this is the beginning of a new path.
During his apostolic visit to Canada on September 10, 1984, Pope John Paul II already stated: “You represent the first inhabitants of this vast region of North America. You have marked it with your mark, your traditions, your civilization for centuries. Without losing cultural identity, you came to understand that the Christian message was for you by God just as it was for others. God gave the earth to all men. “
(AP / GF) (Agenzia Fides 30/3/2022)

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