May 9, 2025 (Ottawa, ON) — The Métis National Council (MNC) congratulates and welcomes His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, as the 267th Bishop of Rome and the first American Pope in history.
As the Catholic Church enters this new chapter, the MNC hopes that the Pope will carry forward the journey of truth, healing, and reconciliation begun by Pope Francis, whose historic apology to residential school Survivors marked a meaningful step towards renewed relationships with Métis, Inuit, and First Nations in Canada. We look forward to working in partnership with His Holiness and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to uphold the Catholic Church’s responsibilities to the Métis Nation, foster meaningful dialogue, and bring justice for Métis Survivors, their families, and their communities.
Following the March 2022 delegation of Métis, First Nations, and Inuit Survivors, Elders, youth, leadership, and other community members to the Vatican, the MNC called on the Catholic Church to return artifacts and other items taken from Métis, which are now stored in the Vatican Museum and other church-run institutions. These artifacts must come home, as they are part of our story of who we are as a Nation, and our current and future generations deserve access to that part of our culture.
The MNC invites His Holiness to work with Métis historians in Canada to begin the process of cataloging Métis artifacts and other items of historical, cultural, and political significance so we can bring them home. "The return of these artifacts would mark another meaningful milestone on the path toward reconciliation for the Métis Nation and the Catholic Church."
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Since 1983, the Métis National Council has been the national and international voice of the Métis Nation within Canada. Through national research and policy development, the MNC advocates to advance the rights and interests of Métis Governments, including the implementation of the Métis Nation's inherent right to self-determination and self-government. The MNC is committed to accountability and transparency within its operations, and to its relationships with its Governing Members and other partners.