Pope Francis thrills Edmonton crowd at stadium mass as he calls on faithful to be ‘weavers of hope’
“We are here because, to us, Francis represents hope and change for the Catholic Church,” said Angela Jackson, who had travelled from Canmore, Alta., for the appearance. “He represents openness and acceptance of different groups of people, like LGBTQ people, who have been shunned in the past. Our faith should be about universal love and acceptance.”
It was a hot and sunny day in Edmonton, and the diverse crowd of faithful included people of all ages and backgrounds, including Indigenous people in traditional dress or orange Every Child Matters shirts. There was some merchandise available – hats and T-shirts – and an overall atmosphere of celebration and excitement leading up to the mass.
“I have no reason to hate him or the Church, though both my parents were in residential schools and they had awful problems with alcohol and gambling,” he said.“I don’t want to hold onto resentment because I don’t want to pass on resentment to my children and grandchildren,” he said. “I have learned that it is more important is to treat everyone with dignity and respect.”
“It is heavenly. When you see the Pope, it is an aura of peacefulness and calmness,” Ms. Leguro said.
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