Posted on 07/28/2022 7:09:26 PM PDT by marshmallow
Pope Francis and Canadian bishops take part in pagan ‘smudging’ ritual invoking ‘sacred circle of spirits’
QUEBEC CITY (LifeSiteNews) – On the fourth day of his Apostolic “pilgrimage” to Canada, Pope Francis joined a pagan “smudging” ritual during his visit to Quebec, partaking in the indigenous practice before delivering a lengthy speech in which he expressed “deep shame and sorrow” for the part played by Catholic Church members in government-funded residential school abuses.
The Pope arrived in Quebec Wednesday afternoon, traveling first to the Archbishopric before transferring to the Citadelle de Quebec, the official home of Governor General Mary Simon, where a welcoming ceremony took place.
After brief introductions, Pope Francis, along with civil dignitaries, was greeted into the reception hall as an indigenous man chanted while beating a drum. According to the emcee, a “traditional Inuit lamp was lit.”
A number of high-ranking prelates were also in attendance, including the Archbishop of Toronto, Cardinal Christopher Collins; Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada Gerald Lacroix; Cardinal Michael F. Czerny, S.J., prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Cardinal Marc A. Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops; Archbishop of Edmonton Richard W. Smith; and the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
As part of the planned welcome ceremony, an elder from the Huron-Wendat nation opened proceedings by initiating what is known as a ritual “smudge to the four directions,” using sweetgrass and animal feathers to waft smoke around the room.
As noted by LifeSiteNews, the ritual, which apes the use of Catholic sacraments and sacramentals, “is a clear act of pagan superstition,” reminiscent of the Holy Father’s veneration of the pagan pachamama idol at the Vatican in 2019.
The ritual is intended as “a ritual of purification” in which “mother earth” is prayed to......
(Excerpt) Read more at lifesitenews.com ...
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