Pope Francis will tour Canada from July 24 to 29. The aim of the visit is to promote reconciliation and healing between the Roman Catholic Church, First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. During the trip, he is expected to expand on an apology he made to the Vatican last spring for residential school abuse at institutions run by his church. Ottawa is making $30.2 million available to Indigenous communities and organizations to cover travel expenses for school survivors who want to see the Pope in person, according to a statement from the office of Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller. The money can also be used for community events and ceremonies. Survivors should contact their local governments to make travel arrangements, said a senior government source who was not authorized to speak publicly. The same source said survivors traveling to see the Pope are allowed to bring a family member with them for support. The source also said communities and organizations are expected to know by the end of the week how much they will receive for the Pope’s visit, and the money will be distributed before the Pope arrives.
The federations also cover the cost of the Pope’s security
An additional $3 million is going to Indigenous partners in the three regions — Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit — that are hosting the papal visit, the statement from Miller’s office said. He added that another $2 million will be spent on indigenous language interpretation for the Pope’s visit. The money comes from Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Ottawa is also covering the cost of the Pope’s security. Exact details have not been announced. Miller’s office said if communities need more support, it stands ready to help as needed. More than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded schools between the 1870s and 1997. The Roman Catholic Church ran most of the institutions. In its final report, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission urged the Pope to apologize on Canadian soil for the church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children in run schools by Catholics. She demanded that the apology be requested within a year of the publication of her report in 2015.
