Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to represent Canada at Pope Francis’s funeral
Global News
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon will represent Canada at the funeral for Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, with all five of the country's cardinals also expected to attend.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon will represent Canada at the funeral for Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, says Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“I’m not going to be attending the funeral, given the … crucial election and sending the right signal,” he said Wednesday during a campaign stop as Liberal leader in Victoria.
“We’re represented at the highest level, appropriately so, and we will also have a senior delegation alongside” the Governor General, he said.
A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister’s Office said the rest of the delegation hasn’t been finalized.
The funeral will be held Saturday in St. Peter’s Square and will be attended by world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The archbishop of Toronto, Cardinal Frank Leo, said all five of Canada’s cardinals are expected to attend. Various bishops are also set to attend, as will Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand.
Quebec’s International Relations Minister Martine Biron said she will represent the province at the funeral.
“The majority of Quebec citizens are Catholic. It’s part of our history, our heritage,” Biron told reporters Wednesday at the national assembly.
