The federal government says it will provide more than $35 million during the pope’s visit to Canada to support local communities, organizations and surviving schools.
Pope Francis will travel to Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut from July 24 to 29. The papal visit will include public and private events with an emphasis on the participation of the local population.
The pope is expected to apologize for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in residential schools during the trip, building on sentiments expressed earlier this year during a delegation of local people to the Vatican.
Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations are committing $30.5 million of the funds to community-led activities, ceremonies and trips for survivors.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Mark Miller previously said the federal government would support survivors who want to attend and that plans were in place to avoid a “logistical nightmare.”
Ottawa said another $3 million will support local groups in the three regions where Pope Francis will spend time.
The papal visit is scheduled to begin in Edmonton before Francis joins survivors at the Ermineskin Indian Residential School in the community of Maskwatsis, south of the city. Other events in Alberta include a visit to a local indigenous church and a major Mass at Commonwealth Stadium, home of the Edmonton Elks CFL football team.
The pope is due to travel to Quebec City midweek, where there will also be a large mass that the public will be able to attend. He is scheduled to finish his trip in Iqaluit, where he will meet with residential school survivors and attend a public community event.
The federal government has also allocated $2 million to interpret events and Pope Francis’ comments in local languages.
Francis is expected to apologize for the role of the Roman Catholic Church in residential schools.
An estimated 150,000 indigenous children have been forced to attend boarding schools over a century, and the Roman Catholic Church runs about 60 percent of the institutions.
The Indian Schools Problem Resolution Health Support Program has a hotline to help school survivors and their relatives suffering from trauma caused by memories of past violence. The number is 1-866-925-4419.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 13, 2022.
— By Kelly Geraldine Malone in Winnipeg
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