Papal present to indigenous people: 'Mary, Untier of Knots'

Statue: Mary, Untier of Knots, Credit: Timothy Schmalz

A statue Pope Francis unveiled during his visit to Alberta in Canada last week showed, 'Mary, Untier of Knots' and it was gifted to the indigenous people.

Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz was commissioned by the Vatican. He said, "the Vatican loved it and then they showed pictures of it to Pope Francis and he decided he wanted to give it to the Indigenous people." Following Pope Francis' prayer service at Lac St Anne in Alberta on 26 July, he unveiled and blessed the life-size sculpture. "It's a sculpture of Mary untying a knot around the world, and, in a sense, that's what Pope Francis is coming here to do, Schmalz explained.

The statue has an interactive component to it as well. Orange ribbon, the colour that represents Indigenous people and residential schools, was placed around the globe Mary is standing over. It allows people to tie or untie their own knots.

Schmalz, who is widely known for his 'homeless Jesus' statues, said it took him a year to make the new statue. The sculpture will become a permanent fixture at Lac St Anne, a major pilgrim site for Indigenous Catholics.

Highlights of the Pope's visit to Canada in one minute:

www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2022-07/highlights-of-the-pope-s-visit-to-canada-in-one-minute.html