The Pope Is Visiting Quebec Next Week — Here's What To Expect

Pope Francis is on a mission to restore the Catholic Church's image after issuing a formal apology earlier this summer for the religious organization's abuses of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Just under 200 representatives of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities — many of whom are residential school survivors — travelled to the Vatican to meet with the Pope in April. The pontiff will now reciprocate with a trip to Canada planned from July 24 to 29.

He's expected to arrive in Quebec City on the afternoon of July 27 and give a 10 a.m. mass at the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Shrine the following day.

The seats inside the church have been reserved for Indigenous attendees and some government officials. About 2,000 of the 10,000 seats outside the church were opened to the general public and claimed almost immediately.

Some of the free tickets were relisted online for a price, with some looking to profit, which the papal visit planning team has denounced.

"It is sad and disturbing that someone is trying to resell free tickets to an event with Pope Francis," they wrote in a statement.

"We strongly recommend avoiding any resale site as the tickets may not be legitimate."

Security around the event will be significant, meaning no cars will be allowed onto the site — only ticket holders arriving by foot or by shuttle.

Nearly 100 dedicated shuttles will take attendees to the church after they pass through security checks. All shuttles transporting people to the site will have a police escort for two hours, between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m.

For those who don't have tickets to attend the mass in person, the planning committee recommends avoiding the area around the church and heading to other places where the Pope will be broadcast live instead.

In Quebec City, his address will be shown on massive screens behind the Manège militaire de Québec (main site) and at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (secondary site). Visitors are advised to bring their own seats, sun protection and food and drink that will last them for the duration of the mass.

In Montreal, you can catch the papal broadcast at any Cinémas Guzzo. The movie theatre chain is planning to make 143 movie screens in 10 complexes in the Greater Montreal Area available to mark the occasion.

It will also be livestreamed on papalvisit.ca with English and French subtitles added to the broadcast. The pontiff's words will also be translated into a dozen Indigenous languages on the website.

The Pope will be involved in "cultural activities" during his visit, but those details have not yet been released.

He leaves for Nunavut on Friday, July 29.