This visit is eagerly awaited by the First Nations, the Métis, and the Ainu who have asked the Pope to come and apologize on Canadian soil for the role of the Catholic Church in the management of Aboriginal boarding schools and the mistreatment of the clergy. in these institutions.
The Vatican confirmed the visit last month. The Pope’s health was a concern, however, and it cast doubt on how many public events there might be.
The itinerary confirms the Holy Father’s passage through the three Canadian cities, with multi-day layovers in Edmonton and Quebec. The Pope’s visit to Nunavut will only take a few hours.
However, these required apologies and whether they would be made in public or in private during the numerous meetings organized with members of the indigenous peoples were not mentioned.
First stop in Alberta
According to an itinerary published Thursday on the Vatican’s website, the Holy Pope will be formally welcomed at Edmonton Airport on the morning of Sunday, July 24.
He will spend his first full day in Canada meeting indigenous peoples. Pope, who has mobility issues, will travel to Maskwacis, an hour’s drive south of Edmonton, which is home to several Cree First Nations.
On the same day, a meeting will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Edmonton with Aboriginal residents and members of the parish community.
The general public will have the opportunity to see the Pope during a mass at the Commonwealth Stadium in the Alberta capital.
The Holy Father will then take part in a pilgrimage to Lake Saint Anne, a place of great importance to Catholics, First Nations, and the Métis in the territory.
Dating in Quebec
Pope Francis will then leave Alberta on Wednesday 27 July for Quebec, where he will be received by the Governor General of Canada in the Citadel.
He will also meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, indigenous representatives and diplomats.
Thursday, July 28 will be devoted to events open to the general public, including a mass in Sainte-Anne-de-Beauper National Park. Vespers will then be celebrated at Notre Dame de Quebec Cathedral.
A few hours in Nunavut
The Pope concludes his visit to Canada on Friday, July 29, with a morning meeting with members of the Society of Jesus and an indigenous delegation.
After that he will travel to Nunavut, but his visit to Iqaluit will only take a few hours. According to the itinerary, Pope Francis will meet some former students of the indigenous boarding schools there.
This is the only reference in the course of this page of Canadian history for which the Pope has apologized for the abuses committed by members of the Catholic Church in these institutions.
The Pope’s last meeting on Canadian soil will be with the young and old at the primary school in Iqaluit before leaving that same evening for Rome.
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