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Pope Francis Will Make Stops In Quebec During His Visit To Canada This Summer
The trip will "focus on Indigenous healing and reconciliation."
Pope Francis.
Pope Francis will make his first official visit to Canada this summer. The trip will "focus on Indigenous healing and reconciliation," the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a press release. The visit follows the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential schools, many of which were Catholic-run.
In April, Francis issued a formal apology for abuses perpetrated by members of the Catholic church against Indigenous people in Canada.
His trip in July will include meetings with residential school survivors in Maskwacis, Alberta, the site of the shuttered Ermineskin Residential School, on July 25 and in Iqaluit, Nunavut on July 29; a visit to the visit Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton; and meetings and a dinner with Indigenous leaders and Catholic Bishops.
There will be a number of public events, too, including an open-air mass at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium on July 26 and a mass in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec, on July 28.
In Quebec City on July 27, Pope Francis will visit La Citadelle. The Plains of Abraham will host a public event led by Indigenous community members. Organizers will set up screens in the park so the public can watch the pope's activities.
The pope will return to Rome on July 29.
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society Emergency Crisis Line is available across Canada 24/7. Those who may need support can call 1-866-925-4419.