Catholic Minute Do Land Acknowledgements Go Too Far? Fr Cristino Priest Responds
Do land acknowledgements go too far in Catholic churches and Catholic prayer settings?
In this video, Fr. Cristino — a Catholic priest with Indigenous heritage — offers a clear Catholic response to land acknowledgements, reconciliation, and prayer in Canada.
Land acknowledgements are now common across Canada — in schools, public events, and increasingly in Catholic settings. Many Catholics are asking sincere questions: What do land acknowledgements actually mean? When are they helpful? And when do they risk losing their meaning or distracting from prayer and worship?
In this thoughtful conversation, Fr. Cristino brings together his Catholic faith, Indigenous heritage, and pastoral experience to address these questions with clarity and charity. He explains the origins of land acknowledgements, the difference between traditional territory and unceded land, and why context and frequency matter.
In this discussion, we explore:
• What land acknowledgements are — and what they are not
• Whether they imply guilt, shame, or victimhood
• Why prayer must always remain central in Catholic gatherings
• How Catholics can approach reconciliation without ideology
• When land acknowledgements may be meaningful — and when they are not
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