The Vatican has launched a program for the pope’s visit to Canada next month, which includes a visit to the site of a former housing school in Alberta with survivors of the institutions.
The papal visit is scheduled to begin in Edmonton on July 24 and end in Iqaluit on July 29. It will include public and private events with a focus on indigenous participation.
“We pray that this pilgrimage will serve as another significant step in the long journey of healing, reconciliation, and hope,” said Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton, coordinator of the papal visit to Canada.
Pope Francis is expected to apologize for the role of the Roman Catholic Church in residential schools during the trip to Canada.
On April 1, after several days of meetings with groups of first nations, Inuit and mestizos in the Vatican, the pope apologized for the deplorable behavior of church members involved in boarding schools.
Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in Edmonton on July 24 for a brief ceremony at the airport. The next day, he is to join the survivors of the Indian residential school Ermineskin in the Maskwacis community south of the city.
Ermineskin was one of the largest institutions in Canada. Smith said he would “have a representative role for all residential schools.” He expects the apology to come to the school survivors.
Later that day, Francis is to visit Sacred Heart of the First Nations, a local church in downtown Edmonton. The church was recently rebuilt after a major fire in 2020.
The next day, Francis is scheduled to attend a major liturgy at the Commonwealth Stadium, home of the Edmonton Elks CFL football team. It must be open to the public and the facility can accommodate about 65,000 people.
The Pope must go to Lac Ste. Anne the same evening, where a great pilgrimage is held every year.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said that due to the advanced age and limitations of the 85-year-old Pope Francis, he will participate in public events for about an hour.
The pope is then scheduled to travel to Quebec City on July 27, where he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor-General Mary Simon. He is to have private meetings at La Citadelle and later deliver a public address.
The pontiff is then to travel to Saint-Anne-de-Beaupre on July 28 for a liturgy. Between 10,000 and 15,000 guests are expected to attend.
The Canadian bishops said the public was also invited to a special place during the stage of the trip to Quebec to watch papal events on big screens and participate in local cultural events.
Pope Francis is scheduled to meet with indigenous indigenous leaders from eastern Canada on July 29 before flying to Iqaluit. There, Francis will have a private meeting with resident school survivors before attending a community event.
The pope’s priority during the visit was relations with the indigenous population, Smith said, adding that the pontiff had heard a cry for reconciliation and a longing for hope.
“It’s a step in the journey,” Smith said. “But it’s a huge step, which has huge positive potential associated with it, to move that relationship forward in a good way.”
Public events will be free, but Canadian bishops have said tickets will be needed and will be available in the coming days.
The launch of the program comes as some worry that the pontiff’s health may delay travel to Canada. Earlier this month, a planned trip to Congo and South Sudan was canceled “so as not to jeopardize the results of the therapy he is undergoing for the knee,” the Vatican said.
Francis has used a wheelchair and has difficulty walking and standing.
Smith said the release of the program from the Vatican should provide reassurance that Pope Francis will come to Canada.
Bishop Raymond Poisson, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was working with all levels of government and indigenous partners to meet the pope’s logistical challenges and travel needs.
“We pray for the health of Pope Francis, as well as for his pastoral visit to Canada, to bring reconciliation and hope to all who will accompany our pastor on this historic journey,” Poisson said in a press release.
The Health Resolution Program for Resolution of Indian Residential Schools has a hotline to help school survivors and their relatives who have suffered trauma caused by recalling past violence. The number is 1-866-925-4419.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 23, 2022
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