Pope to visit Canada, part of apology aims for church abuse

Pope Francis is going ahead with plans to visit Canada this summer to apologize in person for abuse suffered by Indigenous peoples at the hands of the church

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis, struggling with a bad knee, is going ahead with plans to visit Canada this summer so he can apologize in person for abuse suffered by Indigenous peoples at the hands of the Catholic church.

The Vatican on Friday announced that Francis will head to Canada on July 24 and visit Edmonton, Quebec and Iqaluit, a small town where about half the population is Inuit, before returning to Rome on July 30.

Last month, Francis made a historic apology for abuses in Canada’s church-run residential schools. He said he wanted to go to Canada to deliver the apology personally to survivors of misguided Catholic missionary zeal.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis was “accepting the invitation of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities and the Indigenous communities” in making what the Holy See termed an “apostolic journey.”