Pope Francis’ visit to Indigenous peoples of Canada

Pope Francis is greeted by George Arcand, Grand Chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, as he arrives in Edmonton on Sunday. His visit to Canada is aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous people for the Catholic Church's role in residential schools. Photo: Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press. (24 July 2022)

Pope Francis is welcomed by Indigenous leaders, Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, looking on at center, and Mary Simon, governor general, (not pictured) during a welcoming ceremony at Edmonton International Airport. The pope was beginning a six-day visit to Canada. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (24 July 2022)

Pope Francis arrives in Edmonton. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simon accompany him into the hangar for the formal ceremony of welcome. (24 July 2022)

Pope Francis arrives in Edmonton. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simonseated with him in the hangar for the formal ceremony of welcome. (24 July 2022)

Pope Francis is greeted by a Métis representative during the formal arrival ceremony at the Edmonton airport. Photo: Michael Swan/Catholic Register. (24 July 2022)

Pope Francis is greeted by Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton at the formal arrvial ceremony at the Edmonton airport. (24 July 2022)

First Nations drummers perform an honour song to greet Pope Francis to Canada. (24 July 2022)

Pope Francis greets journalists aboard his flight from Rome to Edmonton, Alberta. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (24 July 2022)

Pope Francis prays at the Ermineskin Cree Nation Cemetery before meeting with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities at Maskwacis, Alberta. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (25 July 2022)

Chief Wilton Littlechild welcomes Pope Francis to Maskwacis, Alberta during his apostolic visit to Canada. Photo: Vatican Media. (25 July 2022)

A red memorial banner inscribed with 4120 names of many of the children who never came home from all residential schools across Canada is carried at a meeting with Pope Francis at Maskwacis, Alberta. Photo: Michael Swan/Catholic Register. (25 July 2022)

Pope Francis meets with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities at Maskwacis, Alberta. The pope apologized for the church's role in abuses at Canada's residential schools. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (25 July 2022)

Pope Francis meets with Indigenous peoples and members of the parish community of Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton, Alberta. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (25 July 2022)

Candida Shepherd, a member of the parish council of Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton, Alberta, and Bill Perdue, chair of the parish finance committee, formally welcome Pope Francis to the parish in Edmonton, Alberta. The two are members of the Métis community. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (25 July 2022)

Pope Francis greets family members during a meeting with Indigenous peoples and members of the parish community of Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton, Alberta. Photo: Michael Swan/Catholic Register. (25 July 2022)

Pope Francis receives a Star Blanket during a meeting with Indigenous peoples and members of the parish community of Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton, Alberta. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (25 July 2022)

Pope Francis greets the crowd before celebrating Mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (26 July 2022)

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (26 July 2022)

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. Photo: Michael Swan/Catholic Register. (26 July 2022)

Pope Francis blesses the crowd as he participates in the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage and Liturgy of the Word in Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (26 July 2022)

Pope Francis participates in the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage and Liturgy of the Word in Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta. Photo: Michael Swan/Catholic Register. (26 July 2022)

Pope Francis visits the lake as he participates in the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage and Liturgy of the Word in Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta. Photo: Michael Swan/Catholic Register. (26 July 2022)

Pope Francis is greeted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mary Simon, governor general, during a welcoming ceremony at Citadelle de Québec, the residence of the governor general, in Quebec City. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (27 July 2022)

Pope Francis attends a welcoming ceremony with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mary Simon, governor general of Canada, at Citadelle de Québec, the residence of the governor general, in Quebec City. Photo: Michael Swan/Catholic Register. (27 July 2022)

Pope Francis arrives to lead vespers with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and pastoral workers in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Quebec. Photo: Michael Swan/Catholic Register. (28 July 2022)

Pope Francis attends a welcoming ceremony with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mary Simon, governor general, at Citadelle de Québec, the residence of the governor general in Quebec City. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (27 July 2022)

People gather outside the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec, as Pope Francis celebrates Mass. Photo: Michael Swan/Catholic Register. (28 July 2022)

People attend Pope Francis' celebration of Mass at the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Québec. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (28 July 2022)

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (28 July 2022)

Pope Francis delivers the homily as he leads vespers in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Quebec July 28, 2022. Seated at right is Msgr. Diego Giovanni Ravelli, master of papal liturgical ceremonies. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (28 July 2022)

An Indigenous woman displays a cradleboard as Pope Francis meets with a delegation of Indigenous peoples in the archbishop's residence in Quebec City. Indigenous leaders want Pope Francis to help them get information about the more than 4,000 children who died at Canada's residential schools and the thousands of others who never returned home from the schools. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (29 July 2022)

Pope Francis meets with a delegation of Indigenous peoples in the archbishop's residence in Quebec City. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (29 July 2022)

A man is comforted by an Indigenous leader during ceremonies in Maskwacis, Alberta, where Pope Francis apologized to Canada's native people on their land for the church's role in schools where Indigenous children were abused. Photo: CNS/Adam Scotti, Prime Minister's Office handout via Reuters. (25 July 2022)

Pope Francis answers questions from journalists aboard his flight from Iqaluit to Rome. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (29 July 2022)

Indigenous people hold a banner calling on Pope Francis to 'rescind the doctrine,' an apparent reference to the so-called Doctrine of Discovery, a collection of old papal teachings that encouraged explorers to colonize and claim the lands of any people who were not Christian, placing both the land and the people under the sovereignty of European Christian rulers. The incident occurred during a papal Mass at the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec. Photo: CNS/Guglielmo Mangiapane, Reuters. (28 July 2022)

Elder Piita Irniq and youth drum dancer Malachai Angulalik Mala present Pope Francis with a traditional drum during a meeting with young people and elders outside the primary school in Iqaluit in the Canadian territory of Iqaluit, Nunavut. It was the final day of the pope's weeklong visit to Canada, where he met with Indigenous peoples and apologized for the Catholic Church's role in residential schools. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (29 July 2022)

Pope Francis visited the pilgrimage at Lac-Ste-Anne, Alberta where he met with Indigenous people and blessed the waters. (26 July 2022)

Crowds greet the Pope outside Canada's Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. (28 July 2022)

Pope Francis wearing a headdress presented to him by Chief Wilton Littlechild at Maskwacis First Nation during the pope's pilgrimage of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Photo: Vatican Media. (25 July 2022)