“At the invitation of civil and church authorities and indigenous communities, Pope Francis will make an apostolic visit to Canada,” Bruni said in a brief statement to reporters. He added that the schedule and further details of the visit would be announced in the coming weeks.

In a meeting with Canadian indigenous people at the Vatican in early April, the Pope announced that he intended to visit Canada in late July. He said at the time that he intended to be with Canada’s indigenous peoples for the Feast of St. Anne on July 26. He ended his speech with the remark: “See you in Canada!” Members of the Canadian delegation noted several times that the Pope had been invited to Canada.

abuse in church run schools

The backdrop to the Canadian trip and the talks at the Vatican in April are scandals that have emerged in recent years about mistreatment and abuse at schools for indigenous children, so-called residential schools. State-funded institutions were often run by church sponsors. Mass graves of children, which testify to the pitiable conditions of these boarding schools, became a cause for concern.

(Vatican News – MG)