(Quebec) Pope Francis is preparing to begin his second day of events on Quebec soil as part of his visit, which he described as a penitential pilgrimage.
Posted at 7:05 a.m.
The pontiff is due to present his second mass in Canada later Thursday morning.
The event will take place at the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré sanctuary.
The site is one of the oldest and most popular pilgrimage sites in North America and attracts over one million visitors each year.
Organizers expect more than 16,000 people to attend, although attendance at events in Alberta has been overstated.
Later in the day, he will attend Vespers with church officials in the Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral-Basilica.
Pope Francis arrived in the city for two days of events on Wednesday.
Speaking at the Citadel of Quebec, the pope asked forgiveness for the harm caused by the assimilation policies carried out in the residential schools.
The pope visited the historic site for private meetings with Governor General Mary Simon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Later, he addressed a small room of Aboriginal dignitaries and residential school survivors.
The pontiff expressed his deep shame and sadness for the role played by different local Catholic institutions in the residential school system.
This is the second papal apology on Canadian soil for Pope Francis, who is halfway through his tour.
On Monday, he asked forgiveness for the “evil done by so many Christians against Indigenous peoples” during a speech in Maskwacis, Alberta.
He is due to make a brief stopover in Iqaluit on Friday before returning to Vatican City.