The Pope is asking for prayers for his visit to Canada

VATICAN –

Pope Francis on Sunday asked for prayers to accompany him on what he called his “penitential” pilgrimage to Canada to apologize to local groups for abuses inflicted by the Catholic Church.

Greeting the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, Francis noted that on July 24, “God willing,” he will begin a seven-day trip to Canada.

“Dear brothers and sisters of Canada, as you know, I will come among you above all in the name of Jesus to meet and embrace the indigenous population,” Francis said.

“Unfortunately, in Canada, many Christians, including some members of religious institutions, have contributed to a policy of cultural assimilation that in the past has caused serious damage in various ways to indigenous communities,” the pope said, speaking from a studio window of the Apostolic Palace facing the square.

“For this reason, I recently received in the Vatican several groups, representatives of the indigenous population, to whom I expressed sorrow and solidarity for the evil they have suffered,” Francis said.

“And now I will make a penitential journey that I hope, with God’s grace, will contribute to the path of healing and reconciliation already taken,” Francis said, urging the faithful to “accompany me with prayers” during the pilgrimage.

When he met with representatives of the local population in early spring, the pope issued a historic apology for abuses at church-run schools. Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission called on him to deliver a papal apology on Canadian soil.

More than 150,000 Indigenous children in Canada were forced to attend state-funded Christian schools from the 19th century to the 1970s in an attempt to isolate them from their homes and culture. The goal was to Christianize and assimilate them into mainstream society, which previous Canadian governments considered superior.

The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse is widespread in schools and that students have been beaten for speaking their native language. Indigenous leaders say a legacy of abuse and family separation is the root cause of epidemic levels of alcohol and drug addiction on Canadian reserves.