Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 10, 2021 / 11:37 am
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops released further details of its upcoming trip to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis alongside representatives from the country’s Indigenous populations.
The group will include 25 to 30 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis elders, knowledge keepers, survivors of residential schools, and young people, along with a “small group of Canadian bishops,” according to a CCCB press release issued Nov. 10. The delegates will come from throughout Canada, “representing multiple faith and linguistic backgrounds.”
The meetings with Pope Francis and other officials will be held from Dec. 17-20. An exact schedule is not yet available.
The trip to the Vatican was first announced in June 2021, shortly after the discovery of numerous unmarked gravesites near or at the locations of former residential schools. On Oct. 27, Pope Francis said that he intends to visit Canada in the future.