Special mass held at Quebec basilica where Pope Francis visited on ‘pilgrimage of penance’

More than 100 people sang hymns in unison in the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec as part of a mass honouring the life of Pope Francis, who died Monday at the age of 88.

Nearly three years prior, he visited the basilica, located in the heart of Old Quebec, as part of his six-day “pilgrimage of penance.”

The late Pope Francis — Jorge Mario Bergoglio — visited Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut to apologize to Indigenous people for the conduct of some members of the Catholic Church in Canada’s residential school system.

He said he was sorry and ashamed for abuses committed by those members, as well as for the cultural destruction and forced assimilation that culminated in the schools.

Pope Francis’s 12-year papacy ushered in a more open, welcoming Catholic Church that many say prioritized empathy for the poor and disenfranchised. It’s a legacy that is being remembered by those who saw the Pope during his July 2022 visit to Canada and those who applauded his efforts toward openness and reconciliation.

Françoise Tremblay highlighted the Pope’s humility as she stood in the pews of the Quebec basilica on Tuesday. 

“He had decided that he would change the church,” said Tremblay.

“The first thing he did was ask people to pray for him. I found that very beautiful … he lived at the Santa Marta residence rather than in the pomp of the Vatican.”

Bertrand Cloutier was keen to attend the Quebec City mass, led by Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix.

Cloutier pointed to Saint Francis of Assisi, from whom the Pope took his name. Saint Francis founded the Franciscan Order of Friars in 1209 and was known for renouncing wealth and living in poverty.

It was an issue close to Pope Francis’s heart, who was seen as a champion of the poor, and previously lived in his own apartment outside Buenos Aires rather than the bishop’s palace.

“It was great to see a Pope like that,” said Cloutier. “It was also a necessary reform for our century and the one to come … the reform he started in the church, which is not yet complete, but which I hope will continue.”

Indigenous leaders remember Pope Francis’s visit to Canada, hope reconciliation efforts continue

Cardinal Lacroix says Pope Francis was an incredible example of love and respect, especially on his visit to Quebec.

“It was that important for him to take the time, [even] being in a wheelchair already with limited mobility. But his heart was in full operation,” he said.

“He took the time to hear people, to comfort them, to sit in silence too.”

Lacroix last saw the Pope just a few weeks ago, when he travelled to Rome. He will soon be returning for the funeral service, which will be held in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday.