Indigenous delegation to take Vatican trip at the end of March

An Indigenous delegation that was supposed to meet with Pope Francis in December 2021 is now scheduled to go to the Vatican at the end of March.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami issued a joint statement confirming the pope is scheduled to meet with the individual delegations during the week of March 28. A final audience with all participants will take place on April 1.

The Indigenous delegations were originally supposed to meet with Pope Francis late last year, but the trip was delayed due to growing concerns about the Omicron COVID-19 variant.

2:35 Reflecting on trauma of Williams Lake residential school survivors

“The health and safety of all delegates remain our first priority,” said the release issued on Tuesday.

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“In the weeks ahead, we will monitor conditions leading up to the revised travel dates and continue our dialogue with delegates, public health officials as well as the relevant government and international authorities, travelling only when we feel it is safe to do so.”

Between 25 to 30 Indigenous people were expected to be part of the delegation scheduled to meet with Pope Francis. The delegation was composed of elders, knowledge keepers and residential school survivors and youth.

2:00 Indigenous delegation members react after Vatican visit postponed

“We remain committed to walking toward healing and reconciliation and very much look forward to the opportunity for Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors, and youth to meet with Pope Francis,” the release said.

The AFN delegation planned on pushing Pope Francis to deliver an apology over the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential school system.

Residential schools were mostly operated by the Catholic Church and funded by the federal government.

More than 1,000 unmarked graves have been found at the sites of residential schools since the spring of 2021. Survivors and families have called for apologies from the Catholic Church and the Pope.

In the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report, a papal apology is listed as one of the 94 calls to action.

— with files from Ahmar Khan