Pope Francis is expected to speak publicly for the first time on his Canadian visit at a meeting Monday morning with First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples in a community south of Edmonton.
The day’s proceedings will begin with a trip to Maskwacis, Alta., where the pontiff was to see the former site of the Ermineskin Indian Residential School, which was one of the largest institutions in the country.
It is expected that this is where the Pope will issue an apology to Indigenous residential school survivors and their families for the role the Roman Catholic Church played in the system.
Francis is scheduled to arrive in Maskwacis at the Church of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, where he will be received by a pastor from the community, indigenous priest Gary Laboucane, as well as a small group of local elders and parishioners.
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He will then visit the Ermineskin Cree Nation Cemetery for a moment of silence, prayer and reflection. Organizers say there are likely remains of residential center students among the graves.
Next, the Pope will go to the site of the old school. Five teepees have been installed on the site: four represent the nations of the country and the fifth as a symbol of the entrance to the old school.
Francis is then scheduled to head to an area known as Bear Park, or Maskwa Park, which is often used for powwows. Thousands of survivors, elders and their family will attend.
There will be a traditional grand entrance of chiefs before the Pope is greeted by Chief Wilton Littlechild, who attended a residential school for 14 years.
People arrive in Maskwacis, Alta., Monday, July 25, 2022, to hear Pope Francis. Global news
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simon, as well as other political and Indigenous leaders, will attend.
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Francis is expected to speak in Spanish, his first language, which will be translated into English by a priest.
Organizers say a sacred fire will burn in communities across the country in solidarity.
An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools in Canada, where neglect and physical and sexual abuse were widespread. More than 60% of the schools were run by the Catholic Church.
Francis will speak to indigenous peoples and parishioners at Edmonton’s Sacred Heart Church later Monday.
2:47 Pope Francis visit stirs mixed feelings among residential school survivors Pope Francis visit stirs mixed feelings among residential school survivors
Later in the week, the Pope plans to hold a large open-air Mass at the city’s soccer stadium and take part in a pilgrimage to nearby Lac Ste. Anne, before traveling to Quebec and Iqaluit.
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Francis arrived on Sunday for the six-day trip aimed at reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
A small crowd of dignitaries at the Edmonton airport included Trudeau, Simon and Indigenous leaders. The Pope made brief private comments to organizers, saying he had reserved public statements for Monday’s events.
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Treaty 6 Grand Chief George Arcand Jr. said many people in the indigenous community are skeptical and hurt, but an apology could be the start of a new journey.
“A lot of people have always felt that an apology was just empty words. But when the Pope made an announcement to come to Alberta and talk to our people, people started to feel that there was a sense of hope.” , he said.
Arcand Jr. he said an apology does not erase the past, but opens the way for communities to rebuild and work with the church, if necessary.
Indigenous leaders have said they worry the visit will reopen old wounds. Arcand Jr. called for more mental health supports to be put in place.
“I hope that when we hear an apology, we have the tools and support to help bring people back together.”
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