'An important step on the journey to reconciliation': Vatican rejects Doctrine of Discovery
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation says the Vatican's rejection of a centuries-old doctrine that justified colonialism is going to change the public's perception of Canadian history.
On Thursday, the Vatican announced it was formally repudiating the "Doctrine of Discovery," which was used to legitimize the seizure of Indigenous lands during the colonial era.
"It's an important step on the journey to reconciliation," said Jennifer Wood, commemoration and community engagement liaison officer with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR).
Wood said the decision shows that Pope Francis' visit to Canada last summer to formally apologize for the Catholic Church's role in creating residential schools had a real impact on him.
"It shows that he has a lens of consciousness and that there is hope for the future. They are actually stepping up to the plate and recognizing their wrongs and correcting their wrongs," said Wood.
The Doctrine of Discovery was created by popes in the 15th century. These declarations - known as “papal bulls” –led Christian nations to invade and subjugate non‐Christian lands, claim their resources, and impose Christianity on their people.
In Canada, both French and English colonial powers used the Doctrine of Discovery to claim Indigenous lands and force their cultural and religious beliefs on Indigenous peoples through residential schools.
Wood said the rejection of the doctrine will change people's perception of Canadian history, "Especially in the school system," she said. "They weren’t taught the correct history of our people, and now I believe that’s going to all change."
Wood said the Vatican's announcement is promising. "I hope that it's going to have a rippling effect, that we're going to start walking down this road together because that’s what reconciliation is."
She said announcements like this will break the colonial mindset of Canadians.
"If those keep happening, the general larger public is going to hopefully sit back in their living room chairs and realize that this did happen to us," said Wood.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.