Pope Francis is due to speak publicly for the first time as part of his visit to Canada during a Monday morning meeting with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in a community south of Edmonton.
The day’s events begin with a trip to Maskwacis, Alberta, where the pontiff is to visit the former site of the Ermineskin Indian Residential School.
This is expected to be where the pope will apologize to residential school survivors and their families for the role the Roman Catholic Church played in the settlements.
Pope Francis is scheduled to speak in the afternoon with Indigenous communities and parish members at Sacred Heart Church in Edmonton.
Later in the week, the pope plans to hold a large outdoor mass at the city’s football stadium and participate in a pilgrimage to Lac Sainte-Anne, before traveling to Quebec and Iqaluit.
Pope Francis arrived on Sunday for a six-day trip focused on reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
The small group of dignitaries waiting for him at the Edmonton airport included Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Governor General Mary Simon and Indigenous leaders. The pope made brief private remarks with organizers saying he has reserved public statements for Monday’s events.
Treaty 6 Grand Chief George Arcand Jr. said many in the Indigenous community are skeptical and hurt, but an apology could be the start of a new era.
“A lot of people have always thought that an apology was just empty words. But when the pope announced he would come to Alberta and talk to our people, people started feeling a sense of hope,” he said.
Mr. Arcand Jr. said an apology does not erase the past, but paves the way for communities to rebuild and work with the Church, if needed.
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% of schools were run by the Catholic Church.
Indigenous leaders said they feared the visit would reopen old wounds. Mr. Arcand junior asked that more mental health support be put in place.
“I hope that when we hear apologies, we have the tools and the support to help people rebuild. »