(The Canadian Press)

By The Canadian Press

POPE FRANCIS

Pope Francis to visit Canada, meet with Indigenous leaders: Vatican

Oct 27, 2021 | 8:55 AM

The Vatican says Pope Francis is willing to visit Canada as part of reconciliation efforts with Indigenous Peoples, but there is no mention of a papal apology in today’s brief statement.

The Vatican said in a brief statement on Wednesday that the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has invited the pope to make an apostolic journey to Canada “also in the context of the long-standing pastoral process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.” The Vatican said Francis has indicated his “willingness” to visit Canada at a date to be determined.

Indigenous leaders want Francis to apologize for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools and their calls have only become stronger since the discovery of unmarked graves at school sites in B-C and Saskatchewan.

Given the time usually required to organize an overseas papal visit, it appears unlikely such a pilgrimage could happen this year.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said there have been meaningful discussions with Indigenous people, especially those affected by residential schools.

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Its president said the bishops pray that the pope’s visit to Canada will be a significant milestone in the journey toward reconciliation and healing.

The 2015 final report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, called for a papal apology to be delivered in Canada for the abuses suffered by Indigenous children at federally funded church-run residential schools.

Those calls have grown louder since the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential school sites.

Criticism has also intensified as concerns have been raised that the Catholic Church hasn’t properly compensated residential school survivors as agreed to under a landmark settlement.

A few months ago, Francis agreed to meet in December with residential school survivors who are calling for a papal apology for the Catholic Church’s role.

At that time, the bishops’ conference said the pontiff had invited the delegations to the Vatican and would meet separately with three groups — First Nations, Metis and Inuit — during their Dec. 17 to 20 visit.

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