The Vatican has called the trip a “penitential pilgrimage” and the Pope will be received in Edmonton on Sunday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mary Simon, Canada’s governor general.
While in the country, he will meet with indigenous groups and address the scandal of abuse and erasure of indigenous culture in the country’s residential schools.
Indigenous leaders have long called for a papal apology for the decades-long harm inflicted on Indigenous children. Last year, hundreds of unmarked graves were discovered on the grounds of former residential schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has reported that more than 4,000 Indigenous children died from neglect or abuse in residential schools, many of which were run by the Catholic Church.
In April, the Pope told indigenous leaders at the Vatican that he feels “pain and shame for the role played by a number of Catholics, especially those with educational responsibilities, in all these things that hurt you, in the abuses that you have suffered and in the lack of respect shown for your identity, your culture and even your spiritual values”.
The Pope will also travel to Quebec and Iqaluit, capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, during the trip. Two Canadian cardinals will accompany him throughout his visit, Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Cardinal Michael Czerny.
Francis, 85, had a trip to Africa earlier this month canceled due to knee problems.
He said in an interview with Reuters that he still intends to visit Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine, but has drawn criticism for prioritizing that destination over visiting Ukraine and for partially blaming NATO for the invasion from Russia
“I would like to go, it is possible that I will manage to go to Ukraine. The first is to go to Russia to try to help, but I would like to go to both capitals,” said Francis.
In a June interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa, Francis said the war “maybe in some way was provoked or not avoided.”
Pope Francis said that before Russia invaded Ukraine he met with “a head of state” who was “very concerned about the way NATO was moving”.
CNN’s Hada Messia and Radina Gigova contributed reporting.