Catholicism’s decline was especially noticeable in Quebec, the French-speaking and historically Catholic province where secularism is considered a key cultural value.

“Someone once said that tradition is the living memory of believers. Traditionalism instead is the dead life of our believers.”

“It was therefore a penitential pilgrimage,” Pope Francis said at today’s general audience. “There were many joyful moments, but the overall meaning and tone was reflection, repentance and reconciliation.”

“We are at a different place than we were a week ago in the church’s walk with Indigenous Peoples, a better place.”

An exclusive interview with Mandy Gull-Masty, the grand chief of the Cree Nation and the first woman to hold that post, about Pope Francis' visit to Canada and the future of the reconciliation process.

In Quebec, Pope Francis spent time meeting with Canadian government officials about the rights of Indigenous peoples, a substantial step in the at times tenuous relationship between the Holy See and Canada.