VATICAN CITY -- God forgives sins so that joy, not sadness, can flourish once again in one's heart, Pope Francis said.

OTTAWA - Reconciliation efforts with Indigenous Canadians continue to move forward due to initiatives by the Church and other groups, despite the fallout from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s ousting of Jody Wilson-Raybould from cabinet and the Liberal party.

The cover headline on the December issue of Sojourners magazine caught my eye — “Decolonizing the Spiritual Life: Contemplation, healing, and activism centred on people of colour.” It pointed to an article inside the U.S. magazine, an interview with Teresa Mateus of the Mystic Soul Project.

Louis Riel and his legacy in our nation’s history are well-documented, if not a bit fragmented.

I love my Church, but I admit I have at times found it difficult dealing with its sins against the Indigenous community.

SEOUl, South Korea – North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has invited Pope Francis to meet in Pyongyang, a South Korean spokesman said Tuesday.

From roots planted in the troubled North-Central neighbourhood of Regina has blossomed a unique group of youth who are making strides to break the cycle of poverty that is their everyday reality.

EDMONTON – Betty Letendre recalls a time when Indigenous elders didn’t want to come into Edmonton, feeling tired of the discrimination and misconceptions that they faced on a daily basis. 

NEW DELHI – India's Catholic Church has led a chorus of protest over a demand to ban the sacrament of reconciliation from the chairwoman of the National Commission for Women.

OTTAWA - Pope Francis is committed to contributing to the process of reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous peoples, said the Vatican’s representative to Canada.

EDMONTON – Mike Paonessa visits the Edmonton Remand Centre every week to pray the rosary with inmates, and drives around the inner-city Boyle Street neighbourhood to provide coffee and food to the needy.

GENEVA – At the end of a day dedicated to celebrating 70 years of an ecumenical fellowship forged by the World Council of Churches, Pope Francis turned to the region's Catholics, reminding them of what lies at the heart of the faith.

Words are rarely enough. Actions speak louder than words. When we want to restore a broken relationship, a simple “I’m sorry” or even a long, detailed apology may not suffice. More is required. 

OTTAWA – A majority of Canadians oppose the government making repeated apologies for the Indian residential schools, according to a new survey that indicates the country is deeply divided on the issue.

As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was wrapping up its work in 2015, commission chair Justice Murray Sinclair repeated over and over, “Education got us into this mess and education will get us out.”