Pope flying to Edmonton to start 6-day 'penitential trip' aimed at Indigenous reconciliation
CBC
Pope Francis is en route to Canada to embark on what he describes as a "penitential trip" aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous people for the Roman Catholic Church's role in residential schools.
The Pope told reporters on a plane set to land in Edmonton later on Sunday that the six-day visit must be handled with care.
The pontiff is also set to travel to Quebec City and Iqaluit.
"I hope, with God's grace, that my penitential pilgrimage might contribute to the journey of reconciliation already undertaken. Please accompany me with prayer," said a message on the Pope's Twitter account.
Francis is to be greeted at the Edmonton airport by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, as well as other church, Indigenous and political dignitaries.
Francis is then scheduled to travel to the St. Joseph Seminary, where he will be staying during the Alberta portion of his trip.
The Pope plans to visit the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School in the community of Maskwacis, south of Edmonton, on Monday. That is where Francis is to deliver his first public statement in Canada and is expected to apologize to Indigenous people for abuses they have suffered.
An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools in Canada, where neglect and physical and sexual abuse were rampant. More than 60 per cent of the schools were run by the Catholic Church.
Treaty 6 Grand Chief George Arcand Jr. said survivors have been carrying unimaginable trauma for many generations. The Pope's acknowledgement of their pain is a crucial step, he said.
"This is an important historical moment for survivors of the residential school system and the harm caused by the Catholic Church," Arcand Jr. said last week.
On April 1, after meetings over several days with First Nations, Inuit and Métis groups at the Vatican, Francis apologized for the deplorable conduct of some church members involved in residential schools and promised to visit Canada.
Indigenous delegates had told the Pope they wanted an apology on Canadian soil.
First Nations leaders in Alberta said they expect the Pope's presence to open old wounds for Indigenous people and that mental health counsellors will be at the sites. But they also hope the visit will be a step toward reconciliation.
"We are here with you and we are supporting you," Louis Bull Tribe Chief Desmond Bull told survivors last week.
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador is kicking off its annual holiday campaign, helping to raise money to support local food banks.
If all goes according to plan, at 6 a.m. AT on Saturday people working at the IWK Health Centre will become the test case for a generational change to Nova Scotia’s health-care system.
One month after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced what he called "generational" military spending, New Brunswick’s defence ecosystem is on high alert.
Miranda Mirlycourtois, 34, looks directly at the camera and makes a confession.
Saskatoon city hall says police spending is projected to be $2.6 million over budget this year. That pushes the city into a $1.2-million deficit position, according to a report that will be considered by city council next week.
Students at the University of Regina are days away from deciding whether a newly formed student association should become their official representative body.
All public schools on P.E.I. are closed Friday and thousands of Maritime Electric customers are without power as strong winds create hazardous travel conditions across the province.
Prince Rupert, B.C., residents are celebrating the holidays this year with coastal flair.
In the four years Chelsey Simmonds has worked at the Eva Rothwell Centre, she has seen the need increase every year at the centre’s community food pantry.
CBC is once again looking to make the holiday season kind in Windsor-Essex.
Acute Care Alberta has extended its contract for another year with a private surgical facility at the centre of probes into health procurement and contracting.
As food bank use continues to climb across the province, front-line workers in Thunder Bay, Ont., are working to improve both food security and education.
More ads could soon be coming to Toronto’s subway system.