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Pope Francis’ Canada visit: Read live updates here

By CNA Staff , Katie Yoder

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 29, 2022 / 07:45 am

Pope Francis is visiting Canada in what he has called a “penitential pilgrimage” from July 24 to July 29.

Read the latest updates about his trip below.

July 30, 5:53 a.m.: Full text: Pope Francis’ in-flight press conference from Canada

Pope Francis returned to Rome on Saturday after a week-long trip to Canada. During his trip, the pope visited Edmonton, Québec, and Iqaluit on what he called a “penitential pilgrimage” to apologize to the country’s indigenous communities.

Please read here for CNA’s full transcript of Pope Francis’ press conference on the flight from Iqaluit, Canada, to Italy.

July 30, 5:09 a.m.: Pope Francis: Canada's residential schools system was 'cultural genocide'

Speaking to journalists on the papal plane on July 30, the pope explained that he had not used the term “genocide” during his public apologies for past abuses perpetrated by Catholics in the system because it had not come to mind.

You can read more here .

July 29, 9:17 p.m.

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📹HIGHLIGHTS | Pope Francis finished his trip to Canada by visiting Iqaluit, at the edge of the Arctic, where no plant grows taller than 8 inches. As a final wrap-up to his pilgrimage, he met with young people and elders. #PopeinCanada #WalkingTogether pic.twitter.com/2hQP8h7Vmm — EWTN News (@EWTNews) July 30, 2022

July 29, 7:55 p.m.: Choose light over darkness, Pope Francis tells young people in Iqaluit

Pope Francis on Friday encouraged indigenous young people and elders in Iqaluit in northern Canada not to be disheartened but to seek out what is good.

“You will come to realize that Jesus, from the cross, never points his finger at you; he embraces you and encourages you, because he believes in you even at those times when you stop believing in yourself. So never lose hope, fight, give it your all, and you will not be sorry.”

July 29, 6:40 p.m.: Pope Francis gifts his ‘dearest friend’ to Canada

As Pope Francis concludes his visit to Canada, he is leaving behind his “dearest friend”: St. Joseph.

(Story continues below)

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Before traveling to Iqaluit on Friday, the 85-year-old pontiff gifted a statue of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus to the archbishop’s residence in Québec City, according to the Holy See Press Office. He presented an identical statue of Jesus’ foster father to St. Joseph Seminary, which hosted him at the start of his trip in Edmonton, Alberta.

“I am leaving you my dearest friend,” he told the institute, Vatican News shared.

July 29, 5:00 p.m.

Pope Francis meets with youth and elders before attending a farewell ceremony in Iqaluit, the capital and only city of Nunavut, Canada’s northernmost and most sparsely populated territory. Catholics can watch live below.

July 29, 1:22 p.m.: Pope Francis praises Canada’s indigenous people as he departs Québec

In a brief address Friday to delegates representing nine indigenous nations of Canada, Pope Francis said he is returning home “greatly enriched” after his weeklong “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada, during which he publicly apologized several times for past abuses perpetrated by Catholics against the nation’s indigenous.

“​​I have come as a brother, to discover firsthand the good and bad fruit borne by members of the local Catholic family in the course of the years. I have come in a spirit of penance, to express my heartfelt pain at the wrong inflicted on you by not a few Catholics who supported oppressive and unjust policies in your regard,” the 85-year-old pope said, addressing the group gathered at the archbishop’s residence in Québec City.

July 29, 1:00 p.m.

While in the air, Pope Francis remembers Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. Tekakwitha, also known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” became the first Native American saint in 2012. She was raised in New York, by her uncle, a Mohawk chief, after her parents died from a smallpox epidemic. After encountering Jesuit priests in her village, she converted to Catholicism at 19. Her relatives and the village attempted to punish her for her beliefs. She later ran away to Montreal, Canada, where she could practice her faith and live out her life as a consecrated virgin.

My thoughts and prayers in these days have focused often on Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. We venerate her for her devotion to prayer and work, and her ability to endure many trials patiently and meekly. #IndigenousPeoples — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) July 29, 2022

July 29, 11:47 a.m.

The papal flight prepares to depart Québec for Iqaluit. You can read more about Iqaluit and why Pope Francis is traveling there here .

July 29, 10:30 a.m.

Pope Francis meets with a delegation of indigenous peoples in Québec. Catholics can watch him speak live below.

July 29, 9:45 a.m.

Pope Francis attended a closed-door meeting with Jesuits in Québec this morning.

July 29, 7:19 a.m.

Today marks the last day of Pope Francis' visit to Canada. He will be meeting with members of the Society of Jesus and a delegation of indigenous peoples in Québec. From there, he will fly to Iqaluit, where he will meet with students of former residential schools, young people and elders, and attend a farewell ceremony.

You can read more about Iqaluit and why Pope Francis is traveling there here .

Pope Francis’ Events Schedule for #29July2022 #PopeinCanada #WalkingTogheter @papal_visit pic.twitter.com/MeHHwbIK2D — Holy See Press Office (@HolySeePress) July 29, 2022

July 28, 8:54 p.m.

📹VIDEO | Pope Francis was greeted by cheers during his visit to Quebec. He was also able to get out of his vehicle by his own means before using his wheelchair. Let's keep praying for his health and the fruits of his trip. #PopeinCanada #WalkingTogether pic.twitter.com/DPRaAjx4Jf — EWTN News (@EWTNews) July 29, 2022

July 28, 6:23 p.m. : Pope Francis: Complaining that the world is evil is ‘not Christian’

Speaking Thursday to a group of priests, bishops, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians, and pastoral workers at the Cathedral Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec, Pope Francis urged those present to model Christian joy and fraternity to those to whom they minister. 

“Christian joy is about the experience of a peace that remains in our hearts, even when we are pelted by trials and afflictions, for then we know that we are not alone, but accompanied by a God who is not indifferent to our lot. When seas are rough: The storm is always on the surface but the depths remain calm and peaceful. That is also true of Christian joy: It is a free gift, the certainty of knowing that we are loved, sustained and embraced by Christ in every situation in life,” the pope said in his homily as part of a Vespers service at the cathedral. 

July 28, 5:50 p.m. : Pope Francis’ Canada trip: What is Iqaluit and why is he going there?

Pope Francis is set to fly to Iqaluit, Canada, on Friday, July 29. The city marks the last stop of the 85-year-old pontiff’s “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada before he heads back to Rome.

At the final stop of his trip to Canada, the pontiff will meet with Inuit residential school survivors and will visit Nakasuk Elementary School.

Here is what to know about Iqaluit, its lone Catholic parish, and the significance of the pope’s visit.

July 28, 5:34 p.m.: Pope Francis: Jesus comes to us when we are at our lowest

At a July 28 Mass in the historic Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Québec, Pope Francis preached on the hope and redemption that Christ offers in the face of shame, and how God seeks to draw near to us in moments of failure.

“On the path of life and faith, as we seek to achieve the dreams, plans, hopes and expectations deep in our hearts, we also come up against our own frailties and weaknesses; we experience setbacks and disappointments, and often we can remain imprisoned by a paralyzing sense of failure. Yet the Gospel tells us that at those very moments we are not alone, for the Lord comes to meet us and stands at our side,” the pope said, preaching in his native Spanish.

📹 HIGHLIGHTS | Pope Francis presided over the Holy Mass at the National Shrine of Saint Anne de Beaupre in Quebec. St. Anne, the grandmother of Jesus, was proclaimed patroness of Québec in 1876. #PopeinCanada #WalkingTogether pic.twitter.com/hnd1UrgcDv — EWTN News (@EWTNews) July 28, 2022

July 28, 5:20 p.m.

Pope Francis delivers a homily during evening prayer from the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Québec, Canada. Catholics can watch live below.

July 28, 5:00 p.m.

Catholics can watch evening prayer with Pope Francis from the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Québec, Canada, live below.

Pope Francis will pray Vespers with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians, and pastoral workers at the cathedral.

July 28, 3:00 p.m.

Whenever our failures lead to an encounter with the Lord, life and hope are reborn and we are able to be reconciled: with ourselves, with our brothers and sisters, and with God. #ApostolicJourney #Canada — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) July 28, 2022

July 28, 12:50 p.m.

Following Mass at the National Shrine of Saint Anne de Beaupré in Québec, Pope Francis met with the guests of the Fraternité Saint Alphonse welcome and spirituality center.

He was welcomed in the center's garden by permanent guests and by those who habitually frequent the center — in total, about 50 people including the elderly, people suffering from various addictions, and HIV/AIDS patients. The director in charge, Father André Morency, was also present. The pope greeted them, listened to their stories, and collected their prayers.

Before leaving, he gifted them with an icon of the "Most Holy Lady of Jerusalem."

Pope Francis shared a special moment with a guest of the Fraternité St Alphonse reception and spirituality center in Quebec. There are about 50 people at the center. Among them are the elderly and people suffering from addictions. #PopeInCanada #walkingtogether 📷 Vatican Media pic.twitter.com/kW0mcTrSsl — Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) July 28, 2022

July 28, 12:02 p.m.

This morning Pope Francis presided over Mass at the Sanctuary of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec. #PopeInCanada #WalkingTogether 📷 Vatican Media pic.twitter.com/sVwHiq52dn — Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) July 28, 2022

July 28, 9:30 a.m.

Catholics can watch Holy Mass in Québec with Pope Francis from the National Shrine of Saint Anne de Beaupré, the oldest pilgrimage site in North America, live below. The shrine houses three relics of St. Anne.

Local authorities estimate that 2,000 people are at the shrine today.

July 28, 9:25 a.m.

Pope Francis is arriving at St. Anne de Beaupré in Québec to celebrate Mass. Originally built in the 17th century to welcome a miraculous statue of the saint, it marks the most ancient shrine in North America. According to tradition, one of the first builders of the church suffered from a severe scoliosis and was healed. St. Anne, the grandmother of Jesus Christ, was proclaimed patroness of Québec in 1876. Pope Francis has centered much of his trip on this saint.

July 28, 6:52 a.m.: A look beyond the headlines: Pope Francis encounters Catholic life and history on his journey to Canada

The images of Pope Francis receiving a feathered headdress by indigenous Canadians, the many moving moments and significant gestures on this papal trip have made headlines around the world. This “penitential pilgrimage”, dedicated to a real path of reconciliation with the Native American populations, is also an Apostolic journey to a country with a rich and varied Catholic history.

July 27, 7:00 p.m.: Pope Francis expresses ‘deep shame’ in Canada, warns of new ‘cancel culture’

Pope Francis asked for forgiveness for the harm done to indigenous Canadians by Catholics in a Wednesday address before top government officials and representatives of the indigenous peoples in Canada.

“I express my deep shame and sorrow, and, together with the bishops of this country, I renew my request for forgiveness for the wrong done by so many Christians to the indigenous peoples,” the 85-year-old pontiff said, citing the Catholic Church’s role in running many of the country’s government-sponsored residential schools for indigenous children.

July 27, 6:28 p.m.: Did Pope Francis meet Justin Trudeau before? Here’s what you need to know as the two meet today

Pope Francis met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this afternoon, July 27, in Quebec City, as part of his weeklong “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada.

In their 36-minute 2017 meeting, which the Vatican described as “cordial,” the pope gave Trudeau a medallion symbolizing forgiveness, joy, and mutual acceptance. The medallion also references Matthew 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

July 27, 6:00 p.m.

Pope Francis signed the book of honor at the Citadelle de Québec. He wrote: “As a pilgrim in Canada, a land that stretches from sea to sea, I pray to God that this great country will always be an example in building a future that preserves and values its roots, particularly its indigenous peoples, and in being a welcoming home for all.”

📹HIGHLIGHTS | Pope Francis arrived in Quebec. He met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Governor General of Canada, representatives of indigenous peoples, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and civil authorities. #PopeinCanada #WalkingTogether pic.twitter.com/S0ToRrW9vV — EWTN News (@EWTNews) July 28, 2022

July 27, 4:55 p.m.

Pope Francis arrives in Québec and is welcomed by top government officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada's governor general, Mary Simon.

Pope Francis arrived in Québec and was welcomed by top government officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada's governor general, Mary Simon. #PopeInCanada #WalkingTogether 📷 @andygag / pool VAMP pic.twitter.com/VY08DDgJ8m — Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) July 27, 2022

July 27, 4:30 p.m.

Catholics can watch Pope Francis’ meeting with Canadian civil and religious authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of the indigenous peoples in Québec live below.

July 27, 1:00 p.m.: Pope Francis in Canada: How Ukrainian migrants and indigenous peoples can learn from each other

During his “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada, Pope Francis visited Sacred Heart Church, Edmonton's first parish dedicated to pastoral care for people from the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities. Just one block away from this parish is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral of St. Josaphat, home to a Ukrainilarge Ukrainian community that began to emigrate to Western Canada 130 years ago.

The history of indigenous peoples in Canada speaks to the plight of Ukrainian immigrants. The situation faced by indigenous peoples bears many similarities to what is now being experienced in Ukraine with Russian aggression, explained Bishop David Motiuk, bishop of the Eparchy of Edmonton.

July 27, 12:00 p.m.

Pope Francis will be in Québec today. Canada's governor general, Mary Simon, will welcome him as the representative of Queen Elizabeth II, Canada's head of state. The pontiff will also meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, civil authorities, representatives of indigenous peoples, and members of the diplomatic corps.

Pope Francis’ Events Schedule for #27July2022 #PopeinCanada #WalkingTogheter @papal_visit pic.twitter.com/nRb9Vdg7Ip — Holy See Press Office (@HolySeePress) July 27, 2022

July 27, 10:10 a.m.

This map illustrates Pope Francis’ flight path for his Canada trip.

July 26, 8:45 p.m.: Pope Francis blesses the water, pilgrims at Lac Ste. Anne in Canada

Pope Francis concluded his second full day in Canada with a visit to Lac Ste. Anne, the site of one of Canada’s most famous Catholic pilgrimages and a place of spiritual significance for the nation’s indigenous people. The pope celebrated a Liturgy of the Word at the Shrine of Ste. Anne, with a crowd of mostly indigenous people in attendance, estimated at around 10,000.

The large, shallow, and muddy lake — about an hour’s drive from Edmonton — has been revered as a place of spiritual significance, and of healing, for centuries.

📹 HIGHLIGHTS | Pope Francis visited Lac Ste. Anne, the site of an annual pilgrimage that welcomes tens of thousands of Indigenous participants from throughout Canada and the United States each year. #PopeinCanada #WalkingTogether pic.twitter.com/o1PTQDmr8v — EWTN News (@EWTNews) July 27, 2022

July 26, 7:00 p.m.

Pope Francis visits Lac Ste. Anne, a famous Catholic pilgrimage site in Canada that holds spiritual significance for the nation’s indigenous people. 

The pope blessed a bowl of the lake’s water, which was brought up to a small wooden structure, shaped like a teepee, overlooking the lake. He made the Sign of the Cross towards the four cardinal points, according to indigenous custom. The pope prayed by the water's edge in his wheelchair before sprinkling the crowds with the blessed water. 

You can watch his visit to Lac Ste. Anne here.

July 26, 4:24 p.m.: Pope Francis preaches on sharing faith with love before 50,000 at largest stadium in Canada

Preaching at a Mass celebrated in Canada’s largest stadium, Pope Francis reflected on the elderly, who he said should be honored, and who serve as an example to the Church on how to pass on faith in a loving way.

“In addition to being children of a history that needs to be preserved, we are authors of a history yet to be written,” the Holy Father said.   “The grandparents who went before, the elderly who had dreams and hopes for us, and made great sacrifices for us, ask us an essential question: what kind of a society do you want to build?”

📹 HIGHLIGHTS | On the feast of Jesus' grandparents, St. Anne and St. Joachim, Pope Francis celebrated an open-air Mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. An estimated 50,000 people attended. #PopeinCanada #WalkingTogether pic.twitter.com/N2zQAvAxge — EWTN News (@EWTNews) July 26, 2022

July 26, 3:00 p.m.

Pope Francis asks for the intercession of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for a “better future.” July 26 marks their feast day.

May Saints #JoachimAndAnn help us honour our #GrandparentsAndElders , to treasure their presence in order to create a better future, a future in which the story of violence and marginalization suffered by our #Indigenous brothers and sisters is never repeated. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) July 26, 2022

July 26, 12:45 p.m.

According to local authorities, an estimated 50,000 people are attending the Mass celebrated by Pope Francis from the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta.

July 26, 11:30 a.m.

Catholics can watch Pope Francis’ Mass from the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, below.

July 25, 8:48 p.m.: No remains unearthed yet from Canada’s residential school grave sites

On May 27, 2021, the news broke that unmarked graves containing the remains of indigenous children had been discovered on the grounds of a former residential school in British Columbia. 

The Kamloops Indian residential school, which operated from the late 19th century to the late 1970s, was among Canada’s government-sponsored schools run by the Catholic Church to forcibly assimilate indigenous children.

More than a year later, no bodies have been discovered at the Kamloops site. It is not clear whether the graves said to have been discovered there actually exist. 

July 25, 7:42 p.m.: Pope Francis: Christ offers example of reconciliation through suffering

Speaking to a group of Catholics at Sacred Heart parish in Edmonton July 25, Pope Francis reiterated his “shame” and sorrow at the hurt caused by Catholics during the era of Canada’s residential school system, and praised the parish community as “a house for all, open and  inclusive, just as the Church should be.”

You can read more here . 

📹HIGHLIGHTS | Pope Francis met with parish members of the Community of the Sacred Heart in Edmonton. This Catholic church has bounced back from two major fires in its history, in 1966 and 2020. #PopeinCanada #WalkingTogether pic.twitter.com/rcbIbPOSe1 — EWTN News (@EWTNews) July 26, 2022

July 25, 6:30 p.m.

Catholics can watch Pope Francis' meeting with members of the Sacred Heart parish community in below. The church is the only designated indigenous church in Canada.

July 25, 2:17 p.m.: Pope Francis apologizes for harm done to indigenous Canadians at residential schools

In a speech in rural Canada before a crowd of indigenous Canadian people, Pope Francis publicly apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in running much of Canada’s government-sponsored residential school system. 

During more than a century of operation, the system worked to stamp out aspects of native culture, language, and religious practice. 

“I am here because the first step of my penitential pilgrimage among you is that of again asking forgiveness, of telling you once more that I am deeply sorry,” Pope Francis said.

You can read more here . You can also watch his speech below during his meeting with indigenous Canadians in Maskwacis, Alberta.

📹 HIGHLIGHTS | Pope Francis met with Metis, Inuit, and First Nations people in Maskwacis, Alberta. He apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in running much of Canada’s government-sponsored residential school system. #PopeinCanada #WalkingTogether pic.twitter.com/zPHmSaajIB — EWTN News (@EWTNews) July 25, 2022

July 25, 1:11 p.m.

Pope Francis started his Monday events in Canada by visiting the cemetery and chapel of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows in Maskwacis, Alberta, where he spent a moment of silent prayer. #WalkingTogether #PopeInCanada 📷 Vatican Media pic.twitter.com/gAndrjEZwl — Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) July 25, 2022

July 24, 12:58 p.m.

Pope Francis arrives in Canada at Edmonton International Airport and attends a welcoming ceremony.

📹VIDEO | Pope Francis arrived in Canada. He did not use the plane stairs, and a car took him to the official welcome ceremony at Edmonton airport. He used a wheelchair to greet Canadian authorities and indigenous leaders. #PopeinCanada #WalkingTogether pic.twitter.com/rdKlJeDhaL — EWTN News (@EWTNews) July 24, 2022

July 24, 9:33 a.m.: Pope Francis begins “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada During his six-day trip, the pope is expected to meet with and apologize to indigenous Canadians for abuses committed at Church-run residential schools in the 20th century. The pope’s itinerary includes stops in Edmonton, Quebec City, and Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. He returns to Rome on Saturday, July 30.

Pope Francis boarded the papal plane that will take him to Canada on his 37th apostolic journey. He has called this trip a 'penitential pilgrimage.' 📷 @dibanezgut / @EWTNVatican pic.twitter.com/WL39c9FvPs — Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) July 24, 2022

July 23, 8:00 a.m. : Pope Francis' visit to Canada: A CNA explainer

Pope Francis is set to arrive in Canada on July 24, arriving back in Rome on July 30. During his trip, he’s expected to meet with and apologize to indigenous Canadians for abuses committed at Church-run residential schools in the 20th century. Why this trip, and why now? Read about it here .

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APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS to CANADA

24 - 30 JULY 2022

• Missal for the Apostolic Journey
• Photo Gallery    

Sunday, 24 July 2022

ROME - EDMONTON 

Monday, 25 July 2022

EDMONTON - MASKWACIS – EDMONTON  

Tuesday, 26 July 2022

EDMONTON - LAC STE. ANNE – EDMONTON 

Wednesday, 27 July 2022

EDMONTON – QUÉBEC 

Thursday, 28 July 2022

QUÉBEC 

Friday , 29 July 2022

QUÉBEC - IQALUIT – ROME 

Saturday, 30 July 2022

Bulletin of the Holy See Press Office , 23 June 2022

Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Pope Francis visits Canada: Here’s what happened on July 25

This article was published more than 1 year ago. Some information may no longer be current.

Pope Francis is visiting Canada July 25-29, making stops in Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit to address the devastating legacy of Canada’s residential school system.

Follow Tuesday’s live coverage of the Pope’s visit.

Pope Francis greets faithfuls outside Sacred Heart Church in Edmonton on July 25, 2022. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/Reuters

Gerald Glade hold a photo of his mom Jeannie Glade who was a residential school survivor outside the Sacred Heart Church of the First People in Edmonton. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

Pope Francis arrives at the Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples to meet with members of the Indigenous community in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on July 25, 2022. VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis bows his head during service. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Spectators wait to see Pope Francis at the Sacred Heart Church of the First People in Edmonton. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

Pope Francis speaks to the congregation in Sacred Heart Catholic Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton on July 25, 2022. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

An Indigenous drummer sings a song as Pope Francis enters Sacred Heart Catholic Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Pope Francis attends a silent prayer at the cemetery during his meeting with First Nations, Metis and Inuit indigenous communities in Maskwacis, Alta. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/Reuters

Sipihko, A Cree woman, weeps after she finished singing O Canada in Cree to Pope Francis at Maskwacis, Alta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

A headdress is placed on the head of Pope Francis following his apology for the residential school system at Maskwacis, Alta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Indigenous men shout war cries during the opening ceremonies for Pope Francis at Maskwacis, Alta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

A man weeps during the apology from Pope Francis for the harm caused by the residential school system at Maskwacis, Alta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Chief Willy Littlechild prepares to present Pope Francis a headdress following the Pope's apology for the residential school system at Maskwacis. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Pope Francis meets with First Nations, Metis and Inuit indigenous communities in Maskwacis, Alta. AMBER BRACKEN/Reuters

People hold a banner with the names of missing children under the residential school system during the opening ceremonies for Pope Francis at Maskwacis, Alta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Pope Francis speaks to members of the Indigenous community at Muskwa Park in Maskwacis, Alberta on July 25. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

A dancer performs as Pope Francis meets with First Nations, Metis and Inuit indigenous communities in Maskwacis, Alta. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/Reuters

Pope Francis prays at a gravesite at the Ermineskin Cree Nation Cemetery in Maskwacis, Alberta, during his papal visit across Canada on Monday, July 25, Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Pope Francis arrives for a meeting with First Nations, Metis and Inuit indigenous communities in Maskwacis, Alberta. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/Reuters

Indigenous community members await the arrival of Pope Francis, at Muskwa Park in Maskwacis, Alberta. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis arrives to attend a silent prayer at the cemetery during his meeting with First Nations, Metis and Inuit indigenous communities in Maskwacis, Alberta. AMBER BRACKEN/Reuters

Pope Francis prays in a cemetery at the former residential school, in Maskwacis, Alberta. Gregorio Borgia/The Associated Press

Dennis Lightning offers a smudge ceremony with Buffalo sage to an indigenous community member before the papal visit at Muskwa Park in Maskwacis, Alberta. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

The Ermineskin cemetery during a visit of Pope Francis in Maskwacis, Alberta. VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images

A vehicle used by Pope Francis in Maskwacis, Alberta. IAN WILLMS/The New York Times News Service

Pope Francis prays with Indigenous peoples in a cemetery at the former residential school, in Maskwacis, Alberta. Gregorio Borgia/The Associated Press

An indigenous dancer arrives for the visit of Pope Francis in Maskwacis, Alberta. TODD KOROL/Reuters

Indigenous people gather to see Pope Francis on his visit to Maskwacis, Alta. during his papal visit across Canada. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

Pope Francis to address Indigenous people on his visit to Maskwacis, Alberta. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

Indigenous people gather to see Pope Francis on his visit to Maskwacis, Alberta. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

Dummers sing and play during the opening ceremony at Maskwacis prior to Pope Francis apologizing for the residential school system. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Thousands of Indigenous people gather to see Pope Francis on his visit to Maskwacis, Alberta. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

Former Chiefs hold up Eagle Totems at Maskwacis prior to Pope Francis apologizing for the residential school system. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

A view of graves ahead of Pope Francis' visit to the cemetery in Maskwacis, Alberta. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/Reuters

Wayne Carlick, residential school survivor, cultural coordinator, elder and language speaker of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, stands for a portrait before the papal visit at Muskwa Park in Maskwacis, Alberta. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

Teepees are shown on the the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School as Pope Francis continues his papal visit across Canada in Maskwacis, Alberta. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Members of the indigenous community hold up the memorial banner, which was the first national, public record of the names of the children who did not return home from the residential schools across Canada, as Pope Francis meets with Indigenous leaders at Muskwa Park in Maskwacis, Alberta. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

Here’s what you need to know so far:

• Thousands of residential school survivors and their families gathered in Maskwacis.
• ‘I am sorry. I ask for forgiveness’: Pope Francis apologizes for the abuses of residential schools.
• Pope Francis met with Indigenous people and the parish community of Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton.

8:15 p.m. ET

Pope francis leaves sacred heart, greets devotees waiting outside.

Pope Francis, while being pushed in a wheelchair, approached awaiting devotees outside Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples. Marek Keyrose, 19, was among those waiting for a glimpse of the Pope. “I was able to see the guy that literally made my culture,” the first-generation Canadian said. His family is from Ecuador, and he noted the Pope is from Argentina. “Oh my God, that was amazing.”

The Pope then got in a vehicle and left in a motorcade, waving and smiling to the cheering crowd.

– Carrie Tait

Pope Francis address Sacred Heart Church; receives gifts from children and elders

Pope Francis arrives at the Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples to meet with members of the Indigenous community in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on July 25, 2022. - Pope Francis on Monday apologized for the "evil" inflicted on the Indigenous peoples of Canada on the first day of a visit focused on addressing decades of abuse committed at Catholic institutions. (Photo by Vincenzo PINTO / AFP) (Photo by VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images) VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images

At Sacred Heart, Pope Francis addressed about 200 people in Spanish, reiterating his apology made hours earlier at Maskwacis. The congregation consisted largely, although not exclusively, of Indigenous peoples.

”It pains me to think that Catholics contributed to policies of assimilation and enfranchisement that inculcated a sense of inferiority, robbing communities and individuals of their cultural and spiritual identity, severing their roots and fostering prejudicial and discriminatory attitudes; and that this was also done in the name of an educational system that was supposedly Christian,” the Holy Father said, according to the English text distributed by the Vatican.

Tanya Talaga: Pope Francis’s apology was heartfelt and historic. But it left us wanting more

The Pope acknowledged reconciliation is not easy for those who suffered under the residential school system. ”I can only imagine the effort it must take, for those who have suffered so greatly because of men and women who should have set an example of Christian living, even to think about reconciliation,” he said, according to the English text. “Nothing can ever take away the violation of dignity, the experience of evil, the betrayal of trust. Or take away our own shame, as believers.”

Despite this struggle, the Pope said “we need to set out anew.”

He added: “This is the way forward: to look together to Christ, to love betrayed and crucified for our sake; to look to Christ, crucified in the many students of the residential schools.”

Pope Francis meets Indigenous people and members of the parish community of Sacred Heart in Edmonton, Canada, Monday, July 25, 2022. Gregorio Borgia/The Associated Press

After Pope Francis spoke, children presented him with gifts, such as art from Indigenous artist Jason Carter. Elders presented him with a red, yellow, and orange star blanket. Traditionally, this would be draped on the receivers’ shoulders; in this case, it was placed on his lap because of his mobility issues. The congregation cheered when it was placed on his lap.

Leaning heavily on his cane with his right hand, the Pope then stood and offered a blessing to the newly renovated church. He then returned to his wheelchair at centre stage, smiled and waved with both hands.

- Carrie Tait

6:50 p.m. ET

A survivor prepares for the pope’s visit at sacred heart church.

Some Christians believe that a church is entered in the spirit of forgiveness. So it is with Noella Amable, who was waiting patiently for the arrival of Pope Francis to Edmonton’s Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples on Monday afternoon.

The church, built in 1913 on Treaty 6 territory, is bright, airy and decorated with Indigenous art after it was damaged by fire two years ago; the tabernacle is the shape of a tipi.

Ms. Amable, who was born in Onion Lake, Sask., attended Christian day schools, not overnight residential schools, in her youth; she was hit by the nuns, though not sexually abused. But she felt her culture was taken away from her. “We couldn’t talk our language and they cut our hair short,” she said. “I think they wanted us to look like non-Indian little girls.”

Her mother was in a residential school and had a miserable time there. “She couldn’t cope after she left and she ended up on the streets of Edmonton,” Ms. Amable said.

But she said she did not come to Sacred Heart to condemn the church, or Pope Francis. “I heard his apology this morning and it was very moving for me,” she said. “My mother taught us to forgive the nuns. I had to, I had to move on. Francis did say he was sorry and we have to take that to heart. How many times can someone say they are sorry?”

- Eric Reguly

6:45 p.m. ET

Pope francis arrives at sacred heart catholic church of the first peoples in edmonton.

Stations of the Cross paintings hang in Sacred Heart Church. The paintings, by artist Sheldon Meek, were lost as a result of a fire in August, 2020 and recreated for the church's renovation. Children will present Pope Francis with prints of the works.

About 200 people gathered in Sacred Heart Catholic Church of the First Peoples in downtown Edmonton Monday afternoon. The church was smudged ahead of the Pope’s arrival. Singing and drumming started as his motorcade approached.

Members of the parish Indigenous Music Ministry will offer an honour song, the traditional hymn How Great Thou Art in Cree, according to the papal itinerary. This demonstrates to someone new or visiting that they are welcome and appreciated. The church’s Catholic Fathers, and Elder Fernie Marty, will greet the Pope.

Sheldon Meek painted the Stations of the Cross in Sacred Heart. They were lost as a result of a fire and renovations. However, they were recreated for the renovated church. Children will present the Pope with prints of the work. The Pope will also receive an eagle feather and a star quilt.

5:45 p.m. ET

Apology must be ‘the beginning and not the end,’ says crown-indigenous relations minister.

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Marc Miller says the Pope’s apology to Indigenous people must be “the beginning and not the end.”

He says more work must be done, including getting documents from the Catholic Church, so survivors get an element of closure and a complete picture of the residential school system.

Miller says the federal government does play a role.

- The Canadian Press

2:00 p.m. ET

Pope francis leaves maskwacis; to visit sacred heart later today.

Pope Francis is leaving Maskwacis after giving a formal apology for residential schools. The pontiff spent about 90 minutes in the Indigenous community south of Edmonton.

He is set to speak later today with Indigenous Peoples and parish members at the Church of Sacred Heart in Edmonton.

The Vatican bills Pope Francis’s stop at Sacred Heart as an “encounter,” which, in the parlance of the church, indicates a deeper, more intimate connection than a formal meeting or visit. It is anchored in outpouring and listening, a theme dear to Pope Francis.

– The Canadian Press and Carrie Tait

1:40 p.m. ET

Jerry saddleback performs honour song; chief littlechild presents pope with a traditional headdress.

An honour song by Jerry Saddleback followed the formal apology as Chief Wilton Littlechild, who suffers from health ailments, walked shakily up the steps to present Pope Francis with a traditional headdress, similar to the one worn by the chiefs who surrounded him on stage.

A headdress is placed on the head of Pope Francis following his apology for the residential school system at Maskwacis on July 25, 2022. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

The crowd applauded as Chief Littlechild, a former Truth and Reconciliation commissioner, placed the traditional and sacred item on the Pope’s head.

Sipihko, A Cree woman, weeps after she finished singing Oh Canada in Cree to Pope Francis at Maskwacis on July 25, 2022. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Sipihko, a Cree woman in regalia cried out, singing the national anthem in her Indigenous language, through tears. The crowd applauded the unscripted, emotional moment. Shortly after, someone cried out, “Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery ! Renounce the papal bulls!”

The papal bulls were 15th-century edicts that justified taking Indigenous land, and many Indigenous leaders have called on the pope to formally rescind them.

– Willow Fiddler

1:10 p.m. ET

Pope francis apologizes for the abuses of residential schools.

Pope Francis apologized Monday for the Catholic Church’s role in the abuse at residential schools in Canada. Speaking through a translator, the Pope said that while there were “many instances of devotion and care for children,” the overall effects of residential school policies were “catastrophic.”

The Globe and Mail

“I am sorry. I ask for forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the Church and of religious communities co-operated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools,” Pope Francis said at an outdoor gathering near the former site of the Ermineskin Indian Residential School, once one of the largest residential schools.

Pope Francis said that though Christian charity “was not absent” and that there were “many instances of devotion and care for children,” the overall effects of residential school policies were “catastrophic.”

Pope Francis acknowledges ‘catastrophic’ effects of residential schools in historic apology to First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples

Read Pope Francis’s full apology to Indigenous peoples for harms of residential schools

“I humbly beg forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against the Indigenous peoples,” he said.

The policies were a “disastrous error” incompatible with the gospel of Jesus Christ, he said, adding that Indigenous peoples continue to pay the price.

Near the end of his speech, the Pope called for a “serious investigation of what took place in the past and to assist the survivors of the residential schools to experience healing from the traumas they suffered.” The pontiff spoke in Spanish, his first language, with English translations provided by the Holy See press office.

Translations were also available in several Indigenous languages.

Pope Francis speaks to members of the Indigenous community at Muskwa Park in Maskwacis, Alberta, Canada, on July 25, 2022. - Pope Francis will make a historic personal apology Monday to Indigenous survivors of child abuse committed over decades at Catholic-run institutions in Canada, at the start of a week-long visit he has described as a "penitential journey." (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

The text appears to ask for a new probe into the residential schools even though their abuses were thoroughly examined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which did its work between 2008 and 2015. The Holy See press office provided no other details about what this “serious investigation” would entail, or who would do it.

The office referred to the Spanish version of the text from which Pope Francis read. There, the word “investigation” is not used. In translation from Spanish to English, it says, “An important part of this process is to make a serious search for the truth about the past.”

– Tavia Grant and Eric Reguly

12:45 p.m. ET

Chiefs of the four nations of maskwacis lead grand entry.

After Pope Francis prayed in the Ermineskin Residential School cemetery, surrounded by the graves of children, he was met and led into the Maskwa Park arena by the chiefs of the four nations of Maskwacis: Louis Bull Tribe, Samson Cree Nation, Montana First Nation and Ermineskin First Nation. The four men, dressed in traditional clothing and headdresses, then led a grand entry of drumming and singing, followed by other Indigenous leaders and dancers to welcome the Pope. The 85-year-old pontiff struggled to his feet to shake the hands of the chiefs, who then joined him on the podium.

People hold a banner with the names of missing children under the residential school system during the opening ceremonies for Pope Francis at Maskwacis on July 25, 2022. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

A long red banner, with the names of the more than 4,000 children who never made it back home from the residential schools wove through the crowd as a reminder of why everyone has gathered today. The names were from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, which has said the full tally of missing children is much higher,

– Willow Fiddler and Tavia Grant

12:30 p.m. ET

Pope francis prays at ermineskin cree nation cemetery.

Pope Francis leaves after praying in a cemetery at the former residential school in Maskwacis. Pope Francis begins a "penitential" visit to Canada to beg forgiveness from survivors of the country's residential schools. Gregorio Borgia/The Associated Press

Pope Francis’s stop at the cemetery is being streamed on two large screens at the powwow grounds. Part of the crowd is watching the screens beside the stage and part is looking toward the back, where chiefs have assembled for the grand entry.

Pope Francis prays at a gravesite at the Ermineskin Cree Nation Cemetery in Maskwacis, Alta., during his papal visit across Canada on Monday, July 25, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

A helicopter and drone hover overhead. People are still chatting at Maskwa Park, but it has quieted down as the Pope arrives now by wheelchair, with his entourage behind him.

11:30 a.m. ET

Residential school survivors, their families arrive for pope’s visit, ‘i’m here mainly to accept the apology on behalf of my mom and dad’.

Alma Favel King travelled from Poundmaker Cree Nation in Saskatchewan for Pope Francis’s visit to Maskwacis. She attended residential school in Onion Lake, Sask. Her parents and grandparents also attended residential school.

“I’m here mainly to accept the apology on behalf of my mom and dad. And all those who aren’t able to be here,” she said as the crowd waited for the Pope to arrive. “I think it means that the church recognizes the harm that they caused our people. And hopefully this can be a new relationship between the First Nations and the church.”

Her mother, Ms. Favel King said, would have attended if she were alive.

Ms. Favel King, 74, said she suffered advanced scabies at residential school and ended up in the hospital. Her parents refused to return her and her sister to the institution, and the priest sent her family “nasty letters” in response.

The day, she said, is “overwhelming.”

‘(I)t does mean something that he came to a First Nation to make his apology.’

David Gamble, Grand Chief of the Sask First Nations Veterans Association, has little hope that Pope Francis’s apology Monday will build on the one he made in April.

“He is saying sorry for something that he was not involved in,” he told The Globe and Mail. “… But it does mean something that he came to a First Nation to make his apology.”

Mr. Gamble, 55, says his father and his uncles were residential school survivors, and that his uncles experienced “awful sexual and mental abuse.” They resorted to alcohol and drugs to try to find solace, and some of their children got caught up in that cycle. “I lost two uncles to alcohol and I was a big alcoholic myself,” he said.

When asked whether there was anything the Catholic Church could say or do that would help repair the damage done, he replied: “What the Church can do for me is stay away from me.”

– Eric Reguly

10:30 a.m. ET

Thousands arrive in maskwacis for pope’s visit.

Thousands of people have arrived at Maskwacis in advance of the Pope’s arrival later this morning, taking seats in lines of white chairs that have been set up. Videos are playing recorded messages from the Pope and clips of people talking about the effort that led to this visit. There is a large contingent of media from around the world. A light rain fills the air with the smell of prairie grasses.

Tipis mark the site of the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School. The cemetery, which Pope Francis will visit, is behind this site. Jana G. Pruden

Mascwacis, formerly called Hobbema, was the site of the Ermineskin Residential School . One of the largest in Canada, it operated from 1916 to 1975. Five tipis now mark the site, four of them representing each of the nations of this land – Samson Cree Nation, Ermineskin Cree Nation, Montana First Nation and the Louis Bull Tribe – and the fifth symbolizing the entrance to the school that once stood.

– Jana Pruden and Carrie Tait

8:00 a.m. ET

First full day of the pope’s visit to canada.

Thousands of residential and day school survivors and their families from across Canada will gather today in Maskwacis, Alta., to meet with Pope Francis. The Pope landed in Alberta on Sunday for a six-day visit to address the devastating legacy of the country’s residential school system.

He begins in the Edmonton area before heading to Quebec City and Iqaluit, where he will meet with Indigenous survivors, knowledge keepers, youth, elders and leaders, along with leaders in the Catholic Church.

Where the Pope will be on visit to Canada

Lac Ste. Anne

Quebec City

UNITED STATES

Sun., July 24: Depart Rome; arrive Edmonton

Mon., July 25: Edmonton; Maskwacis

Tues., July 26: Edmonton; Lac Ste. Anne

Wed., July 27: Depart Edmonton; arrive Quebec City

Thurs., July 28: Quebec City

Fri., July 29: Depart Quebec City; arrive Iqaluit; Rome

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: TILEZEN; OPENSTREETMAP

CONTRIBUTORS; Bulletin of the Holy See Press Office

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: TILEZEN; OPENSTREETMAP CONTRIBUTORS; Bulletin of the Holy See

Press Office

Today he will travel south of Edmonton to visit Maskwacis, home of the former Ermineskin Residential School site – one of the largest such sites in Canada. He is expected to stop and offer a prayer before heading to an event at Makwa Park (for 10 a.m. MDT), where he is then expected to deliver an apology for the intergenerational harms from the church-run, government-funded schools.

Later today (at 4:45 p.m. MDT) he will meet with Indigenous people and the parish community of Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, a national Indigenous church in Edmonton, in an invitation-only event. This is the first papal visit to Canada in 20 years; it has the theme of “Walking Together,” and will focus on healing and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

– Tavia Grant

Sunday, July 24

Pope francis arrives in canada.

Pope Francis kissed the hand of Elder Alma Desjarlais, a residential school survivor, and received a beaded medallion as a gift from Grand Chief Arcand. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/Reuters

Pope Francis touched down in Alberta just after 11 a.m. on Sunday, after making the 10-hour flight to Edmonton from Rome for a historic Canadian visit. He was met by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mary Simon, Canada’s first Indigenous Governor-General, for a brief ceremony and greeting.

Flanked by Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Simon, in a trio of chairs on a thin red carpet, Pope Francis shared private words with a procession of local and national political, Indigenous and church leaders. He kissed the hand of Elder Alma Desjarlais, a residential school survivor, and received a beaded medallion as a gift from Grand Chief George Arcand. The Pope passed out gifts of coin medallions in small red boxes to those he met.

How the Vatican encouraged the colonization of Indigenous lands – and enabled the Crown to keep them

He has described the trip as a “penitential pilgrimage,” intended to foster healing and reconciliation in the wake of a legacy of physical, sexual and emotional abuse suffered by Indigenous children at Catholic-run residential schools.

This is Pope Francis’s first visit to Canada, and only the fourth papal visit in Canadian history.

– Jana Pruden and Eric Reguly

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Pope lands in Canada, set for apologies to Indigenous groups

Pope Francis kisses hand to Canadian Indigenous woman as he arrives at Edmonton’s International airport, Canada, Sunday, July 24, 2022. Pope Francis begins a weeklong trip to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for the abuses committed by Catholic missionaries in the country’s notorious residential schools. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

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

Pope Francis kisses the hand of residential school survivor Elder Alma Desjarlais of the Frog Lake First Nation as Chief Greg Desjarlais left looks on as he arrives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Sunday, July 24, 2022. His visit to Canada is aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous people for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

A six-person drum circle from the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation perfoms to welcome Pope Francis Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Pope Francis is welcomed by a group of Indigenous leaders Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Pope Francis meets the Canadian Indigenous people as he arrives at Edmonton’s International airport, Canada, Sunday, July 24, 2022. Pope Francis begins a weeklong trip to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for the abuses committed by Catholic missionaries in the country’s notorious residential schools. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis, left, is welcomed by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon as he arrives at Edmonton’s International airport, Canada, Sunday, July 24, 2022. Pope Francis begins a weeklong trip to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for the abuses committed by Catholic missionaries in the country’s notorious residential schools. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis is greeted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as he arrives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Sunday, July 24, 2022. His visit to Canada is aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous people for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Governor-General Mary Simon, right, receives a gift from an Indigenous person as Grand Chief George Arcand, center, looks on as they await the arrival of Pope Francis in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Sunday, July 24, 2022. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Grand Chief George Arcand of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations waits for the arrival of Pope Francis Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Canadian and Vatican flags fly from the plane carrying Pope Francis as he arrives Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Pope Francis arrives at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International airport Sunday, July 24, 2022, to board his flight to Edmonton, Canada, where he will start a six-day pastoral visit to the country. Pope Francis begins a weeklong trip to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for the abuses committed by Catholic missionaries in the country’s notorious residential schools. (AP Photo/Riccardo de Luca)

FILE - President of the Metis community, Cassidy Caron, second left, and other delegates arrive to speak to the media in St. Peter’s Square after their meeting with Pope Francis at The Vatican, March 28, 2022. Pope Francis’ trip to Canada, which begins Sunday July 24, 2022, to apologize for the horrors of church-run Indigenous residential schools marks a radical rethink of the Catholic Church’s missionary legacy in the Americas, spurred on by the first American pope and the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at the school sites. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

Pope Francis greets residential school survivor Elder Vicki Arcand of the Alexander First Nation as George Arcand left, grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations looks on as he arrives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Sunday, July 24, 2022. His visit to Canada is aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous people for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

This preview of a digital embed shows the areas in Canada where Pope Francis plans to visit in late July. (AP Digital Embed)

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EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Pope Francis began a historic visit to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for abuses by missionaries at residential schools, a key step in the Catholic Church’s efforts to reconcile with Native communities and help them heal from generations of trauma.

Francis kissed the hand of a residential school survivor as he was greeted at the Edmonton, Alberta, airport by Indigenous representatives, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mary Simon, an Inuk who is Canada’s first Indigenous governor general.

The gesture set the tone of what Francis has said is a “penitential pilgrimage” to atone for the role of Catholic missionaries in the forced assimilation of generations of Native children — a visit that has stirred mixed emotions across Canada as survivors and their families cope with the trauma of their losses and receive a long-sought papal apology.

Francis had no official events scheduled Sunday, giving him time to rest before his meeting Monday with survivors near the site of a former residential school in Maskwacis, where he is expected to pray at a cemetery and apologize.

Francis exited the back of his plane with the help of an ambulift, given his strained knee ligaments have forced him to use a wheelchair. The simple welcome ceremony took place in airport hangar, where Indigenous drums and chanting broke the silence. As Trudeau and Simon sat beside Francis, a succession of Indigenous leaders and elders greeted the pope and exchanged gifts. At one point, Francis kissed the hand of residential school survivor Elder Alma Desjarlais of the Frog Lake First Nations as she was introduced to him.

“Right now, many of our people are skeptical and they are hurt,” said Grand Chief George Arcand Jr. of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, who greeted the pope. Yet he expressed hope that with the papal apology, “We could begin our journey of healing .. and change the way things have been for our people for many, many years.”

Indigenous groups are seeking more than just words , though, as they press for access to church archives to learn the fate of children who never returned home from the residential schools. They also want justice for the abusers, financial reparations and the return of Indigenous artifacts held by the Vatican Museums.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald, one of the country’s most prominent Indigenous leaders, said several members of her family attended residential schools, including a sister who died at one in Ontario. She described it as “an institution of assimilation and genocide.”

During her fight to Alberta, “I was just so overcome with emotion and there were different times on the plane where I really had to stop myself from breaking into a deep sob,” she said. “I realized that I am an intergenerational trauma survivor and there are so many people like me.”

Francis’ week-long trip — which will take him to Edmonton; Quebec City and finally Iqaluit, Nunavut, in the far north — follows meetings he held in the spring at the Vatican with delegations from the First Nations, Metis and Inuit. Those meetings culminated with a historic April 1 apology for the “deplorable” abuses committed by some Catholic missionaries in residential schools.

The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse were rampant in the state-funded Christian schools that operated from the 19th century to the 1970s. Some 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families and forced to attend in an effort to isolate them from the influence of their homes, Native languages and cultures and assimilate them into Canada’s Christian society.

Then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a formal apology over the residential schools in 2008. As part of a lawsuit settlement involving the government, churches and approximately 90,000 surviving students, Canada paid reparations that amounted to billions of dollars being transferred to Indigenous communities. Canada’s Catholic Church says its dioceses and religious orders have provided more than $50 million in cash and in-kind contributions, and hope to add $30 million more over the next five years.

Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015 had called for a papal apology to be delivered on Canadian soil, but it was only after the 2021 discovery of the possible remains of around 200 children at the former Kamloops residential school in British Columbia that the Vatican mobilized to comply with the request.

“I honestly believe that if it wasn’t for the discovery ... and all the spotlight that was placed on the Oblates or the Catholic Church as well, I don’t think any of this would have happened,” said Raymond Frogner, head archivist at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Frogner just returned from Rome where he spent five days at the headquarters of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, which operated 48 of the 139 Christian-run residential schools, the most of any Catholic order. After the graves were discovered, the Oblates finally offered “complete transparency and accountability” and allowed him into its headquarters to research the names of alleged sex abusers from a single school in the western Canadian province of Saskatchewan, he said.

The Inuit community, for its part, is seeking Vatican assistance to extradite a single Oblate priest , the Rev. Joannes Rivoire, who ministered to Inuit communities until he left in the 1990s and returned to France. Canadian authorities issued an arrest warrant for him in 1998 on accusations of several counts of sexual abuse, but it has never been served.

Inuit leader Natan Obed personally asked Francis for the Vatican’s help in extraditing Rivoire, telling The Associated Press in March that it was one specific thing the Vatican could do to bring healing to his many victims.

Asked about the request, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said last week that he had no information on the case.

At a news conference Saturday in Edmonton, organizers said they will do all they can to enable school survivors to attend the papal events, particularly for the Maskwacis apology and the Tuesday gathering at Lac Ste. Anne, long a popular pilgrimage site for Indigenous Catholics.

Both are in rural areas, and organizers are arranging shuttle transport from various park-and-ride lots. They noted that many survivors are now elderly and frail and may need accessible vehicle transport, diabetic-friendly snacks and other services.

The Rev. Cristino Bouvette, national liturgical coordinator for the papal visit, who is partly of Indigenous heritage, said he hopes the visit is healing for those who “have borne a wound, a cross that they have suffered with, in some cases for generations.”

Bouvette, a priest in the Diocese of Calgary, said the papal liturgical events will have strong Indigenous representation — including prominent roles for Indigenous clergy and the use of Native languages, music and motifs on liturgical vestments.

Bouvette said he’s doing this work in honor of his “kokum,” the Cree word for grandmother, who spent 12 years at a residential school in Edmonton. She “could have probably never imagined those many years later that her grandson would be involved in this work.”

Gillies reported from Toronto.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

What to Know About the Pope’s Visit to Canada and Apology to Indigenous Communities

O n July 24, Pope Francis will begin a weeklong trip across Canada that he called a “ pilgrimage of penance ” to meet with Indigenous communities and formally apologize for the rampant abuse and “cultural genocide,” at residential schools—ran by the Roman Catholic church—where more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forcibly enrolled.

In late March, delegates of the three largest Indigenous groups in Canada—Métis, Inuit and First Nations—met Pope Francis in the Vatican, and the Pope issued the first-ever official apology from a Pope to Canada’s Indigenous community. During the meeting, the Pope said that he would aim to travel to Canada to begin a process of reconciliation and healing.

“Unfortunately, in Canada, many Christians, including some members of religious orders, contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation that in the past gravely damaged native populations in various ways,” Pope Francis said in a public statement in Vatican City last week.

Here’s what you need to know about the visit:

Why the Pope is visiting Canada

Pope Francis’s trip comes roughly a year after the remains of more than 1,000 people, primarily children, were discovered on the grounds of former residential schools across Canada, notably in British Columbia and Saskatchewan . The unmarked, mass burial sites sparked national outrage over Canada’s long history of abuse and death that took place at residential schools.

At the schools, children faced emotional, physical and sexual abuse from school authorities, oftentimes clergymen who worked there. Unsafe living conditions and abuse resulted in an undocumented number of deaths at the schools that went mostly unreported. Indigenous communities have long called for a papal apology taking accountability for the church’s involvement.

The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement , the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history, went into effect in 2007. Along with financial compensation for former students, investigations into individual physical and sexual abuse allegations, funding for health and healing programs and commemoration of the hardship the schools caused, the settlement called for the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

The TRC was a Canadian government commission created to examine the effects and legacy of the Indian Residential School system and to outline solutions that don’t erase the history of Indigenous suffering. The commission highlighted the church’s role in the residential school system and advocated for then Pope to make a statement.

“We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to Survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools. We call for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology issued to Irish victims of abuse and to occur within one year of the issuing of this Report and to be delivered by the Pope in Canada,” the TRC wrote in its Calls to Action in 2015.

The Pope will visit Edmonton, Quebec and Iqaluit, three culturally significant locations with large Indigenous population, on his trip. In a unique diplomatic fashion , the Pope won’t be meeting with Canada’s head of state, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, until halfway through the trip.

Read More : I ndigenous Groups in Canada Want More Than Apology During Pope’s Visit

The first pope to hail from the western hemisphere, Pope Francis , born in Argentina, has been credited for being more vocal about Indigenous rights than other prominent figures in the Catholic church have.

“The fact that the church deals with this is going to be really important. On Sunday, this should be discussed in every pulpit across the country for Catholic people. The priests should be explaining what this means to the Catholic people so that they turn their actions around as individuals,” Bill Erasmus, Canadian Chair for the Arctic Athabaskan Council and former Dene National Chief, tells TIME. “That’s the only way this will have any impact and meaning.”

What to know about the Roman Catholic Church’s abuses in Indigenous schools

The residential school system, which was established by the Canadian government, was a network of boarding schools across Canada, and for years attendance was mandatory for all Indigenous children. The schools have thorough documentation of wide-scale physical, sexual and psychological abuse issues that traumatized generations of Indigenous children.

“Myself, I didn’t go to a residential school. My father had to go. He experienced it, and he didn’t want that for us,” says Erasmus. “I didn’t experience it, but I’m the next generation. It’s intergenerational, it affects all of us.”

The Catholic church operated about 70% of residential schools in Canada from the 1880s to the 1990s. Beyond a rudimentary general education, indoctrination into Christianity and Euro-Canadian customs took precedence in the schools

“If you study how Indigenous lands were invaded or colonized, there’s a pattern that involves the church,” says Erasmus. “It’s because our people already knew spirituality. They already had their own belief system and they weren’t about to argue about god when other spiritual people came amongst them, so they accepted Christianity to a large degree, but then they were lulled into what happened to them.”

The residential school curriculum was designed to eradicate all aspects of Indigneous culture, according to the University of British Columbia article. Siblings were separated from each other and Indigenous languages, customs and traditions were banned. Children also endured overcrowding, poor sanitation, insufficient food and healthcare and concerningly high death rates, the article reported. In 1907, a Canadian government inspector reported that 24% of previously healthy Indigenous children were dying in residential schools.

The schools also had coursework teaching trade skills and manual labor, but the practice was generally regarded as a method to enforce social order and to contain Indigenous people to lower-working-class jobs.

What Indigenous communities want from his visit

Indigenous Canadians across the country are grappling with what the Pope’s visit could mean for them. Some feel that it’s a hollow gesture in many ways, while others look forward to it as an opportunity to find peace.

Chief Doris Bill of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation emphasizes the importance of healing that this trip offers for many survivors. The Kwanlin Dün First Nation delegation is bringing counselors and medical professionals in case the event is triggering or overwhelming for any survivors.

“I’m a survivor myself, there are about 49 of us from our First Nation that came down. It was interesting because at 4:30 this morning we had to be at the airport and everybody was excited and smiling–it was really something,” says Bill. “I think everybody has different expectations for what this trip means to them. My hope is that this helps them on their healing journey. For some, the apology means a great deal and I really hope that it helps them move forward and leave all of that negative stuff behind.”

Erasmus shares that although an apology is necessary, people may or may not be ready to accept. It remains to be seen if the Catholic church and other authorities complicit in Indigenous oppression will continue to listen to Indigenous communities and help them recover, Erasmus says.

“When it comes to the church, the government can’t be left out of this. One of the big issues here in Canada, also in the U.S., [is that] the Catholic church was paid by the government to care for our children in schools,” says Erasmus. “It’s deeply rooted, it’s systemic. It’s in the laws, it’s in the worldviews of Canada.”

Indigenous leaders and advocacy groups also continue to point out issues with the Doctrine of Discovery, the legal precedent that gave European governments and the Catholic church justification to colonize Indigenous land. In 2016, the Catholic church issued a public statement about the Doctrine of Discovery acknowledging its role in the oppression of Indigenous people, however the doctrine has never formally been renounced.

“Part of the message that the First Nations of Canada brought to the Pope when they met earlier this year is that they also have to dismiss the Doctrine of Discovery, which basically says that our people were discovered by others and because we were not Christian at contact, others had the legal obligation to occupy our lands,” says Erasmus. “Part of that is the perpetuation of the myth that we gave up our lands or that we were conquered. We were never conquered. We entered into treaties, which are peace and friendship.”

The Pope’s visit to apologize for a long and devastating history of abuse against Indigenous people in Canada is the first step in his goal to make amends.

“When the council talked about this, for us it was a no-brainer. We have to support our survivors. This could be a real watershed moment for some people in helping them to move forward on their road to healing,” says Bill.

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Catholic Bishops Welcome Announcement of Dates and Hub Cities for Papal Visit to Canada

May 13, 2022 – Earlier today, the Vatican formally announced that Pope Francis will travel to Canada from July 24-29, 2022. The historic visit, focused on Indigenous healing and reconciliation, will be the fourth papal journey to Canada and the first since Saint John Paul II’s visit in 2002.

Bishop Raymond Poisson, President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) welcomed the formal confirmation of the visit on behalf of Canada’s Catholic Bishops: “We are immensely grateful that the Holy Father has accepted our invitation to continue the journey of healing and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples of this land. In late July, Pope Francis will have the opportunity to visit Indigenous Peoples here in their homeland, as he promised when he met them recently in Rome. We pray for the health of the Holy Father as we undertake the intensive planning for this historic visit.”

On April 1, 2022, Pope Francis apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential school system. The Holy Father expressed “sorrow and shame” for the abuse and lack of respect for Indigenous identities, culture and spiritual values in the residential school system.

The Holy Father’s apology was informed by private encounters between March 28 th and April 1 st with 32 Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors and youth representing the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), the Métis National Council (MNC), and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK).

Given the vast landscape of Canada, the limited time period for the visit and considering the health of the 85 year old Pontiff, the Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will adopt only three communities as a base for his Canadian visit: Edmonton, Quebec City, and Iqaluit. The locations will limit travel for the Holy Father while still allowing an opportunity for both intimate and public encounters, drawing on participation from all regions of the country.

Edmonton is home to the second largest number of Indigenous Peoples living in urban Canadian centres. In addition, 25 residential schools were located in Alberta, the most of any province or territory in Canada.

Iqaluit , with close to 8,000 people, is home to the highest population of Inuit (3,900) of all Canadian cities with more than 5,000 people. Pope Francis was personally invited by Inuit delegates to visit the North during their meetings in March.

Quebec City provides an eastern hub for those who may wish to travel to see Pope Francis, especially Indigenous Peoples of the East. The region is also home to Ste. Anne-de-Beaupré, one of the oldest and most popular pilgrimage sites in North America, drawing Indigenous Peoples and others from throughout Canada and around the world each year.

While dates and general locations have been confirmed by the Vatican, specific sites and a formal program will be developed in dialogue with Indigenous partners at the local and national level. Given the focus on Indigenous healing and reconciliation, the Holy Father is expected to visit the site of a former residential school and other locations of particular significance.

Typically, six to eight weeks prior to a papal visit, a full program and itinerary are released by the Vatican. At that time, the public will have an opportunity to learn more about how they may participate in the numerous events and related activity for the papal visit, along with volunteer opportunities and other relevant details.

The CCCB has appointed Archbishop Richard Smith as General Co-ordinator for the Papal Visit, to guide this immense undertaking on behalf of the Canadian Bishops. As Archbishop of Edmonton, the Archbishop also accompanied Indigenous delegates to the Vatican earlier this year and has long-standing relationships with Indigenous leaders.

Archbishop Smith commented on the appointment: “I am humbled to serve as General Co-ordinator for this historic visit from Pope Francis. I look forward to working with Indigenous Peoples from across this land, as well as local, provincial and federal partners, as we prepare to welcome the Holy Father and continue to walk together on this important healing and reconciliation journey.”

Those interested in learning more about the Papal Visit to Canada can find the latest updates at: www.papalvisit.ca (english) and www.visitepapale.ca (french).

About the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is the national assembly of the Bishops of Canada. It was founded in 1943 and officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948.

For media inquiries on the Papal Visit to Canada: [email protected] (English) [email protected] (French)

Catholic Bishops Welcome Announcement of Dates and Hub Cities for Papal Visit to Canada (PDF)

Pope Francis's visit to Canada will go ahead despite ongoing health issues

The pope will be in canada between july 24 and 29, making stops in edmonton, quebec and iqaluit.

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Pope Francis will travel to Canada as planned next month, the Vatican said Thursday, confirming the long-planned trip will go ahead even though the Roman Catholic religious leader is dealing with some health issues.

The Pope, who will be in Canada from July 24 to 29 with stops in Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit, is coming here to apologize in person for the abuse suffered by Indigenous people at the hands of the Catholic Church.

• Residential school survivors call on Pope to acknowledge unmarked graves

"We know that the Holy Father was deeply moved by his encounter with Indigenous Peoples in Rome earlier this year, and that he hopes to build on the important dialogue that took place," Archbishop Richard Smith, an organizer of the Pope's visit to Canada, said in a statement.

"We pray this pilgrimage will serve as another meaningful step in the long journey of healing, reconciliation and hope," Smith said.

According to an itinerary released by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Pope will start the visit in Edmonton with a brief ceremony at the airport before calling it a day to get some rest after a long flight from Europe.

The next day, on July 25, he will meet with survivors at the site of the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School in the community of Maskwacis, south of the city. Ermineskin, which was operational between 1916 and 1973, was one of the largest residential school sites in the country.

Later that day, Francis is scheduled to visit Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, an Indigenous church in the city's downtown core — a church that was recently restored after a devastating fire in 2020.

On July 26, the Pope will celebrate an open-air mass at the city's 56,000-seat Commonwealth Stadium, an event that will be open to the public. The Canadian bishops said the service will incorporate Indigenous traditions as part of the gathering.

He'll then travel to Lac Ste. Anne, Alta., a pilgrimage site where, for more than a century, First Nations and Métis Catholics have travelled to celebrate the Feast of Saint Anne, who is said to be the mother of Mary and the maternal grandmother of Jesus.

The next stop is Quebec City, where the Pope will meet with the prime minister and the Governor General at La Citadelle and then deliver a public address.

The Pope will visit Canada next month, Vatican confirms

On July 28, he'll preside over a mass at the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, a national shrine, where some 10,000 to 15,000 guests are anticipated to attend. Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is one of the oldest and most popular pilgrimage sites in North America, regularly drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to a place where a number of miracles are said to have happened.

Later that day, he'll participate in an evening prayer service with bishops, priests, deacons and seminarians at the Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral.

The Canadian bishops said the public will be able to participate in the Quebec events as there will be a dedicated area on the Plains of Abraham on July 27 and 28 where people can witness "Indigenous cultural expression" and watch papal events in the province on big screens.

On July 29, the Pope will meet with a delegation of Indigenous people from eastern Canada before heading north to Iqaluit.

While in Nunavut, the Pope will participate in a private meeting with residential school survivors and host a delegation of young people and elders at a local primary school before heading back to Rome.

Trip to Africa cancelled

There was concern in some circles that the Pope would cancel the Canadian visit after the Vatican pulled the plug on another one of his trips abroad — a multi-day tour of Africa that was scheduled for early July.

Vatican officials said the Pope had to pull back from the planned travel to the Republic of Congo and South Sudan "at the request of his doctors" so as not to "jeopardize the results of the therapy that he is undergoing for his knee."

The Pope had been due to visit South Sudan with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the head of the Church of Scotland to make a joint, ecumenical appeal for peace in the war-torn country.

• Pope forced to cancel another event due to knee pain

Because of the ongoing health issues — the Pope has recently been seen in a wheelchair due to mobility concerns — the Canadian bishops said it is expected that the Pope's participation in public events will be "limited to approximately one hour."

The Pope has been using a wheelchair due to strained ligaments in his right knee that have made walking and standing difficult and painful.

He has refused so far to get surgery, and has instead received injections, kept the knee as immobile as possible and walking with a cane or the help of an aide.

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J.P. Tasker is a journalist in CBC's parliamentary bureau who reports for digital, radio and television. He is also a regular panellist on CBC News Network's Power & Politics. He covers the Conservative Party, Canada-U.S. relations, Crown-Indigenous affairs, climate change, health policy and the Senate. You can send story ideas and tips to J.P. at [email protected]

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With a file from the Associated Press

Pope Francis visits the children of the Vatican Summer Camp

By Salvatore Cernuzio

Pope Francis brought joy to the children of the Vatican's Summer Camp, in what has become an annual tradition for the Holy Father.

Despite intense Roman heat during the 8:30 a.m visit, the Holy Father visited the Camp and engaged in dialogue with the children and teens, whose parents are Vatican employees.

On July 18, the Pope visited the blue, yellow, and green groups, whose colours are determined by age, along with staff members, led by Father Franco Fontana, the director of the Salesian community in the Vatican and chaplain of the Vatican Security Services and Museums, whom the Pope jokingly referred to as "Superman." 

It was quite a colorful scene seeing the children's hats and t-shirts and the 300 biodegradable balloons released into the sky with the phrase, "You are precious in the eyes of God," which was also full of greetings, applause, laughter, high-fives, and prayers.

During the brief Q&A, the Pope responded to questions on several topics, including peace, which the Pope referred to as "the most beautiful thing in the world"; the importance of family; staying close to grandparents, who "help find the way"; and preparing for the Jubilee "with joy," which, the Pope pointed out, is very different from mere "fun."

The Pope's arrival

This year's setting was different from those in the past, which were usually held in Paul VI Hall.

This time the encounter took place in the sports field of the new San Giuseppe Center, near the Barcaccia Fountain, which was inaugurated in June thanks to the generosity of some benefactors whom the Pope met early in the morning at Santa Marta to express his gratitude.

The Holy Father had arrived in his well-known white Fiat 500L, while the children continued to play padel or cards, or swim in the pool.

The playing of the camp's anthem, and a loud round of applause, announced the arrival of Pope Francis, who was welcomed by Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga and Sister Raffaella Petrini, respectively the President and Secretary General of the Vatican Governatorate.

'Protect the children'

At this point, there were greetings and handshakes and special congratulations to someone who had just had a baby, before the Pope moved to the pagoda where he briefly met the Summer Camp staff, acknowledging that many of them are "former children" who have become teenagers and adults, and now serve this community.

"Thank you for your help," the Holy Father said, encouraging them in their "beautiful work" that "makes one grow," while also always calling on them to "protect the children."

The importance of family

The next stop was the field where all the children were waiting for the Pope, seated and waving panels with the word "Thank you."

Five of them had the opportunity to ask questions of Holy Father. The first was little Paolo, who asked, "Who were your knights when you were little?" making a reference to this year's theme "Errant Knights." The Pope immediately responded, "My parents."

From there, he shared some childhood memories from Argentina, of him and his four siblings together at the table with "mom and dad teaching us things." "Parents, family make you grow," said the Pope, as he also reiterated the importance of grandparents.

"They are wonderful!" he underscored.

Summers with the grandparents in Argentina

The topic of grandparents, prompted by Matilde's question, brought to the Holy Father's mind summers spent with the "abuelos (grandparents)," sometimes paternal, sometimes maternal, which he said were always happy moments.

"Talk to your grandparents," insisted the Pope. "What do you think about grandparents? You, tell me," he asked the group.

"They bring joy," shouted a girl in the front row. "Grandparents help us find our way," echoed another.

"That's right," the Pope confirmed, adding, "you must be close to your grandparents, okay?"

Never a spirit of war, always working toward peace

Pope Francis made another recommendation, to work toward peace.

"Making peace," he underscored, "is the most beautiful thing in life and we must learn to make peace at home, when we quarrel, with our siblings, when we get angry."

"Never go to bed without making peace!" exclaimed Pope Francis, making the children repeat this phrase with him three times.

"Never go to bed with a spirit of war," he said, stressing that this applies to everyone, "even for parents when they argue."

Preparing with joy for the Jubilee

A final question touched on the upcoming Jubilee Year, with Michele asking, "How can we young people prepare for the Jubilee?" 

"Jubilee comes from the word jubilation and jubilation is joy," replied the Pope. Therefore, he said, one must "always prepare with joy." Joy, he observed, is different from "fun," which is not always a "good" thing.

Prayers, biodegradable balloons, and greetings

Before the gathering with the Holy Father drew to a close, a girl by the name of Alice read a letter on behalf of the entire "Summer Kids" community, calling it "a magnificent experience."

The encounter concluded with a moment of prayer, followed by the release of natural, biodegradable rubber balloons of various colors, including a white one for the Pope, with the same words printed on the banner behind Pope Francis, which were, "To you, dear girl and dear boy: you are precious in the eyes of God."

The organizers called this a symbolic gesture with the intention of spread the Pope's words to as many people as possible.

Before parting ways, the Holy Father left them with a final word of gratitude. "Thank you," he said, "for your spirit of joy."

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Analysis: Pope Francis makes history at the G7 summit

Pope Francis’ participation at the G7 summit in Apulia, Italy, was not only historic but revealed the high moral standing that the first Latin American pope has on the global stage and among some of the world’s leading heads of state and government.

Francis was the first pope invited to participate in this high-level intergovernmental forum, founded in 1975, which brings together Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union also participates in the G7, which, the group says, “is united by common values and plays an important role on the international arena in upholding freedom, democracy and human rights.”

Italy holds the rotating presidency of the G7 this year, and the country’s first woman prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, invited Pope Francis to take part in the meeting. She also invited the heads of state of several non-member countries as well as the presidents of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

After arriving on the afternoon of June 14, Francis began the first of two series of scheduled bilateral meetings. The heads of state of eight countries—Algeria, Brazil, India, Kenya, France, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States— had requested private meetings with the pope as had the head of the I.M.F. No pope has ever had so many high-level bilateral meetings, each lasting about 20 minutes, in one day. In addition to the bilateral meetings, the pope participated in the working session of the G7, where he gave the keynote address on artificial intelligence.

Francis was welcomed with warm applause by the heads of state when he entered in a wheelchair the Arena Hall where the working session was held. He greeted each of the leaders present with broad smiles and sometimes brief remarks before taking his seat at the table.

Pope Francis knew many of the heads of state from private meetings at the Vatican or visits to their home countries. The body language revealed a warmth of relations between the leaders and great affection for the first pope from the Global South; encounters ranged from embraces and kisses with Argentina’s President Javier Milei, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jordan’s King Abdullah and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the forehead-to-forehead greeting of President Joe Biden and a warm handshake of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The pope began his address on artificial intelligence in a humorous tone, announcing that he had two texts, a longer and shorter version, which he held up for all to see, and with a big smile he said he would read the shorter one and deposit the longer for the record. He then spoke for 19 minutes with great passion about the fundamental need for ethics in this emerging field.

[Pope Francis tells G7: A.I., ‘an exciting and fearsome tool,’ needs urgent political action]

“Artificial intelligence is an exciting and fearsome tool,” he told these world leaders. Its advent “represents a true cognitive-industrial revolution, which will contribute to the creation of a new social system characterized by complex epochal transformations,” he said.

He emphasized the vital importance of human beings controlling this tool and said: “We would condemn humanity to a future without hope if we took away people’s ability to make decisions about themselves and their lives, by dooming them to depend on the choices of machines. We need to ensure and safeguard a space for proper human control over the choices made by artificial intelligence programs: human dignity itself depends on it.”

“In order for [artificial intelligence programs] to be instruments for building up the good and a better tomorrow, they must always be aimed at the good of every human being,” the pope said. “They must have an ethical ‘inspiration.’”

He concluded by emphasizing the importance of “healthy politics” to oversee the development of artificial intelligence, “so that we can look to our future with hope and confidence.”

The leaders warmly applauded Francis when he concluded his talk. He then remained to listen as the other world leaders contributed to a two-hour session behind closed doors. The G7’s concluding document supported the need for a code of conduct in the field of artificial intelligence.

The 87-year-old Latin American pope showed energy, good humor and clarity of mind throughout his more than nine hours of interaction with world leaders at the G7. His performance was all the more impressive when one considers that Francis began the day with an early morning audience with the president of Cape Verde, followed by a lively encounter with some 100 comedians from 14 countries . He then received the bishops of Equatorial Guinea from Central Africa before taking a helicopter at 11 a.m. for a 90-minute flight to Borgo Egnazia, the luxury holiday resort in southern Italy, for the 50th G7 summit.

Ahead of the summit, Francis told reporters he wanted to talk with world leaders about artificial intelligence but also peace. He is deeply concerned about the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and is determined to use the full power of his papal office to try to get world leaders to bring an end to these and other conflicts that have caused so much suffering worldwide.

In this context, one of his first bilateral meetings was with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he has received twice at the Vatican. Mr. Zelenskyy reported on X that he had briefed the pope “on the consequences of Russian aggression, its air terror, and the difficult energy situation” and spoke about “the Holy See’s role in establishing a just and lasting peace.”

He said he thanked Francis for “his spiritual closeness to our people” and “the humanitarian aid” that he sent and for the Holy See’s efforts “aimed at bringing peace closer” and working for the return of “Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.” He also thanked Francis for the Holy See’s participation in the peace summit in Switzerland . The pope sent Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state, to the summit held this past weekend, and he reaffirmed the Holy See’s position in favor of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Francis’ final bilateral meeting was with President Biden , and the wars in Ukraine and the Holy Land were at the center of the conversation. Francis first met then-Vice President Biden during his visit to the United States in 2015, and they met again at the Vatican in October 2021. Francis was keen to speak face-to-face with President Biden because of the role the United States, under its second Catholic president, is playing in Ukraine and Gaza.

While the Vatican has not revealed what the pope said during their private conversation, a statement from the White House said:

The leaders emphasized the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and a hostage deal to get the hostages home and address the critical humanitarian crisis in Gaza. President Biden thanked Pope Francis for the Vatican’s work to address the humanitarian impacts of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, including his efforts to help return kidnapped Ukrainian children to their families. President Biden also reaffirmed his deep appreciation for the Pope’s tireless advocacy for the poor and those suffering from persecution, the effects of climate change, and conflict around the world.

Before his meeting with the U.S. president, Pope Francis spoke with King Abdullah of Jordan, who recently held a conference on delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. The pope also conversed with the president of Algeria, Abdelmadjod Tebboune, whose country has pushed for a ceasefire in Gaza at the United Nations. He had an in-depth conversation with Turkey’s President Erdogan, who is playing an important role in both the war in Gaza and the war in Ukraine, and who has reached out to Francis by phone in recent months.

Francis also met with India’s Prime Minister Modi, who again invited him to visit the country , and with Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, with whom Francis has a very close relationship. India and Brazil, together with Russia, China and South Africa, make up the “BRICS” coalition of developing nations and could play an important role in brokering peace in Ukraine since both enjoy good relations with President Vladimir Putin. Russia had been a member of the G7 (then G8) since 1997 but was suspended from the forum after its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

After his meeting with Mr. Biden, Pope Francis boarded the helicopter back to the Vatican. In a post on X on June 17, the U.S. president paid tribute to the pope, saying : “His Holiness has devoted his life to tireless advocacy for the poor and those suffering from persecution, the effects of climate change, and conflict around the world. It was an honor to spend time with him this past week.”

Gerard O’Connell is America ’s Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History . He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.

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Pope urges religious orders to pray for new priests and nuns as their numbers continue to fall

Pope Francis urged religious orders on Monday to work and pray harder for new priests and nuns to join, as he acknowledged the congregations’ futures are at risk with the numbers of men and women entering Catholic religious life plummeting in parts of the world.

The Jesuit pope asked representatives of a half-dozen religious orders celebrating assemblies this summer in Rome how many people they each had training to be priests or nuns. Audience members responded saying eight, 12 and 17, with new members coming from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

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“The future is there, it’s true,” Francis told them. “We have to double these numbers!"

For over a decade, the overall number of Catholic priests and nuns from Europe and parts of the Americas has been in a free fall as new members fail to make up for deaths and desertions.

The new priests in the Global South have limited the overall global decline, with a total of 407,872 priests recorded in 2021 compared to 413,418 in 2011, according to Vatican statistics.

But the drop has been much more precipitous in female religious orders, which on a global scale have been shedding around 10,000 members per year to death and desertions for over a decade.

While there are exceptions with vibrant, growing communities, the number of religious sisters worldwide stood at 608,958 in 2021 compared to 713,206 a decade prior, according to the most recently available statistics. As with the men, Europe and the Americas have seen the greatest declines.

The downward trends have prompted some orders to collapse and others to to scale down and sell off properties so that aging members can be cared for in their final years. Some orders have stopped accepting new members since their futures aren’t assured.

Francis, who has urged religious superiors to not lower the bar to admission to mitigate lower numbers, encouraged the priests, brothers and nuns to be careful in training new recruits.

“You have to have successors who will continue your charism,” he said, referring to the underlying spirit that inspires a religious order. “Pray, pray.”

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LIVE UPDATES | 14 people rescued from flooded Don Valley Parkway in Toronto

Fourteen people have been rescued from widespread flooding in the Greater Toronto Area, with Environment Canada reporting that almost 100 millimetres of rain poured down on the city on Tuesday.

Toronto flooding: Pictures, videos show heavy rainfall today in downtown core

Toronto was pounded by torrential rain Tuesday afternoon and pictures and video are showing the extent of the flooding in the city’s downtown core and beyond.

Canada drops $9M on NYC luxury condo for consul general's official residence

Canada has spent $9 million for a luxury condo in Manhattan to be used as the official residence for its consul general in New York.

Secret Service ramped up security after receiving intel of Iranian plot to assassinate Trump; no known connection to shooting

U.S. authorities obtained intelligence from a human source in recent weeks on a plot by Iran to try to assassinate Donald Trump, a development that led to the Secret Service increasing security around the former president in recent weeks, multiple people briefed on the matter told CNN.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez guilty of taking bribes in cash and gold and acting as Egypt's foreign agent

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez was convicted on Tuesday on all counts at his corruption trial, including accepting bribes of gold and cash from three New Jersey businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.

B.C. youth representative says official inaction led to boy's torturous death in foster care

British Columbia's representative for children and youth is calling for a complete overhaul of the province's foster care model following the torture and death of an 11-year-old boy in 2021.

Who is Usha Vance, the wife of Trump's running mate?

JD Vance has had several introductions to the American people: as the author of a memoir on what ails the White working class, as a newly elected Republican senator in his home state of Ohio and, on Monday, as his party’s nominee for vice president. His wife, Usha, has been by his side through it all.

Ingrid Andress says she's checking into rehab after viral national anthem performance: 'I was drunk last night'

Country music artist Ingrid Andress says she was intoxicated during her much-criticized performance of the national anthem on Monday at the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby and will be seeking treatment.

Police had clues that something was amiss before the Trump rally shooting

Here's a look at what we know so far about the attempt on Donald Trump's life and its aftermath.

Manitoba lawyer suspended for punching articling student in groin

A Manitoba lawyer has been temporarily suspended from practicing after admitting to punching an articling student in the groin.

The guidance for RSV vaccines has changed. Here's what Canadian seniors need to know

Health officials recently changed the guidelines for respiratory syncytial virus vaccines. Here's what Canadians need to know about the guidance and the virus itself.

BREAKING | Husband sentenced to 16 years for killing B.C. teacher-librarian

The B.C. man who pleaded guilty in the death of his wife – Langley teacher-librarian Naomi Onotera – has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Cheering GOP delegates nominate Trump for president as he announces Vance as running mate

Jubilant and emboldened after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt, Republicans on Monday nominated the former president to lead their ticket for a third time and welcomed Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate.

United Airlines apologizes for treatment of Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis

United Airlines apologized to Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis on Tuesday for his mistreatment on a recent flight.

Supporters of scaling back Arkansas abortion ban sue state for rejecting ballot measure petitions

Supporters of a proposal to ask voters to scale back Arkansas’ abortion ban sued the state on Tuesday for rejecting their petitions to get the measure on the November ballot.

Six people are found dead in a hotel in downtown Bangkok and poisoning is suspected, police say

Police in Thailand say the bodies of six people were found Tuesday in a luxury hotel in downtown Bangkok and poisoning is suspected.

Canada's premiers reassess their protective detail following Trump assassination attempt

Although it’s not an official agenda item at the meeting of Canada’s premiers in Halifax this week, the provincial leaders are sharing concerns about the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump and reassessing the level of protection needed to keep themselves safe.

Asylum seekers, equalization reform on the agenda as premiers meet in Halifax

Quebec's premier wants to bring the issue of asylum seekers to the attention of his fellow provincial leaders.

Ontario reports rise in mpox cases. Here is what you need to know

Ontario is reporting a rise in mpox cases, serving as a reminder that the infectious disease is still present, despite a descent from its peak two years ago.

What a doctor needs to check after cardiac arrest, according to new research

In the years following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, women are more likely than men to treat anxiety or depression, according to a new report.

Can AI be an author? Federal Court asked to decide in new copyright case

The Federal Court of Canada is being asked to declare that only humans — and not artificial intelligence — can be considered authors under Canada’s copyright law.

P.E.I. bans cellphones in classrooms for fall

Students in Prince Edward Island will not be allowed to use cellphones in classrooms this upcoming school year.

Edmonton man contributes thousands of photos to Google while dressed as an alien

One of Edmonton’s main contributors to Google Street View is a man who dresses up as an alien.

Entertainment

Jack Black's band cancels tour after backlash to bandmate's comment on Trump assassination attempt

Jack Black’s comedy rock band Tenacious D has cancelled its remaining tour dates after band member Kyle Gass sparked a backlash with an apparent joke about Saturday’s assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Jennifer Lawrence to film movie in Alberta later this summer

A new movie staring Jennifer Lawrence will be filming in Alberta later this summer.

CMHC says annual pace of housing starts in June down 9% from May

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in June fell nine per cent compared with May.

Inflation falls to 2.7% in June, driven by slower growth in gas prices: StatCan

Canada's annual inflation rate fell to 2.7 per cent in June, with Statistics Canada largely attributing the deceleration to slower year-over-year growth in gasoline prices.

Media companies win court injunction against sports-streaming pirates

Major broadcasters have won a court injunction to prevent internet pirates from illegally streaming live sports events to online viewers.

Are you 'doomscrolling' on your phone? Tips to help you stop scrolling social media apps for hours

If you're spending hours 'doomscrolling' on your smartphone every night looking at social media, news and other sites, it can "create a lot of anxiety and stress" in your life, according to an Ottawa registered psychotherapist.

My simple travel hack that saves us money on vacation meals

One writer used to make do with deli sandwiches and brought-from-home snacks, but now they have a secret weapon for quick but satisfying road trip lunches.

Colombia's soccer federation president and son among 27 arrested in chaos at Copa America final

Colombia's soccer federation president and his son were among 27 people arrested during the crowd control issues that broke out Sunday at the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia, police said Monday.

NFL Hall of Famer says he was unjustly handcuffed and 'humiliated' on a flight

Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis said Monday he was 'humiliated' after being handcuffed and removed from a United Airlines flight, then later apologized to by law enforcement, over the weekend.

River Seine still not safe for swimming on most days due to E. Coli bacteria levels, with Olympics set to start on July 26

Weeks before the Olympic Games are set to begin in Paris, the River Seine is still not safe for swimming on most days due to high levels of E. Coli bacteria in the water, according to official data.

Toronto traffic has reached crisis level, poll data reveal

Toronto traffic has reached the point of a congestion crisis, according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade, whose new numbers warn of a significant impact on the city’s economy.

Video released of wild police car chase involving white Lamborghini north of Toronto

Police north of Toronto have released dramatic video of a car chase that led officers across York Region in pursuit of a Lamborghini SUV that was clocked at speeds in excess of 200 km/h.

Novice driver fled police travelling 188 km/h on Hwy. 11 while allegedly impaired

A 31-year-old man from Milford Bay is facing multiple charges following a traffic stop last week.

Local Spotlight

Nearly 10 years after it was first pitched, vancouverites can climb the stairway to nowhere.

Nearly 10 years after it was first proposed, an interactive piece of public art is officially open in Vancouver's Hastings Park.

Sudbury's Big Nickel celebrates its 60th birthday

An event July 22 at Dynamic Earth in Sudbury will mark the 60th anniversary of the iconic Big Nickel, the largest coin in the world.

Cyclist riding across Canada for children's charity stops in Montreal

Cyclist Jagjeet Singh cruised through Montreal on Sunday morning as he rides across the country to raise money for a children's charity.

Rare marine fossil found in eastern Saskatchewan

A rare ammonite fossil – about 75 million years old - has been discovered in eastern Saskatchewan.

Ontario dad highlights Calgary Flames' act of kindness

Seven-year-old goalie Hudson Hardill is an unlikely Calgary Flames fan, being that he lives in Peterborough, Ont., and his dad Chris is a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.

'I nearly died': WestJet employee and Spice Girls superfan dances with Mel C

A WestJet employee's chance encounter on a recent flight spiced up her life in a big way.

He thought his gnomes were stolen. But then a secret society returned them

A Kelowna, B.C., man says he's always liked gnomes because they have a 'bit of mystery' to them. And he recently got a taste of that whimsy when his garden gnomes disappeared, and came back to him in a peculiar fashion.

Toronto's iconic 'Leslieville dollhouse' set to hit the market on Thursday

After more than 50 years, Toronto's iconic 'Leslieville dollhouse' will soon have a new owner.

B.C., Alberta premiers announce end to interprovincial wine dispute

A ban on shipping B.C. wine directly to consumers in Alberta has been lifted, according to the premiers of both provinces.

List of Toronto road, transit routes closed by heavy rainfall, flooding

As residents are advised to avoid areas of flooding, CTV News has compiled a list of some of the ongoing road closures in Toronto.

Chains, bats used in violent downtown Calgary assault

Calgary police are investigating a violent attack last month that saw the victim assaulted with chains and bats in the middle of Macleod Trail S.E.

Alberta, B.C. reach deal to allow wineries to ship directly to consumers

B.C. wineries can once again ship their wines directly to Albertans after the two governments announced an agreement on Tuesday.

Calgary doctor's practice permit cancelled over sexual abuse

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta has cancelled the practice permit of a Calgary doctor who was found guilty in 2022 of sexually abusing two patients.

Severe thunderstorm watch issued in Ottawa, eastern Ontario

Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Ottawa-Gatineau with wind gusts capable of producing heavy rain, wind and hail arriving in Ottawa this afternoon.

Amazon Prime Day is here, but buyer beware

It's a two-day event that gives Prime members some of the best deals of the year, but retail expert Doug Stephens, founder of Retail Prophet, says Prime Day is not so much about the bottom line, and more about loyalty and memberships.

Chick-fil-A opening its first restaurant in Ottawa this week

Ottawa's first Chick-fil-A restaurant will open on Thursday. The U.S.-based fast food chain says Chick-fil-A will open at Tanger Outlets on Palladium Drive this week, the 15th restaurant in Canada.

Multiple weather alerts in effect for Greater Montreal

There are currently two weather alerts in place for the Greater Montreal area, including a heat warning and a severe thunderstorm watch.

Former Amazon warehouse worker sounds alarm ahead of Prime Day

Amazon's annual Prime Day event will be held on July 16 and 17, but behind the deals lie health and security concerns for warehouse and delivery workers, according to one former employee.

Quebec government quietly loosened its approach to drug possession over a year ago

Neurodiverse employees using their talents to redact body camera footage in new project

Edmonton police and local IT company Technology North are currently training neurodiverse workers in a project centred around body camera footage redaction.

Pickleball players robbed at gunpoint south of Edmonton: RCMP

Three people were robbed at gunpoint after a pickleball game in Millet, Alta., on Monday.

Thunderstorm risk in the Maritimes on Tuesday

There is further risk of thunderstorms in the Maritimes Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Wentworth, N.S., man wanted for firearm, choking charges

Nova Scotia RCMP is looking for a 46-year-old man wanted for numerous firearm, assault and unlawful confinement charges.

N.S. minister blames municipalities for delay in emergency alert in last week's flood

The Nova Scotia government is criticizing municipalities for their decision not to request an emergency alert during flooding last week that killed a 13-year-old boy and caused extensive damage.

Winnipeg apartment building residents locked out

The City of Winnipeg says a College Avenue apartment owner has ordered its residents to vacate the property.

Man killed in 'targeted' shooting outside soccer game in Winnipeg: police

A man has died after a shooting following a soccer game in Winnipeg over the weekend.

'Forever grateful': Thomson family thanks loyal fans and supporters of 'Bella Brave'

The family of Isabella Thomson took to social media to thank those who have supported them following the death of the social media starlet and advocate, known as “Bella Brave.”

Sask. RCMP respond to 147 calls for service and make 33 arrests at Country Thunder

It was a busy weekend for Saskatchewan RCMP officers as they responded to 147 calls for service during Country Thunder.

'I am sorry': Sask. contractor pleads guilty in $275,000 fraud case

Regina-based company Prairie Boy Windows and Doors pleaded guilty in provincial court Monday on fraud charges.

Body recovered from the Grand River in Kitchener, Ont.

A woman’s body was recovered Monday from the banks of Grand River in Kitchener, Ont.

Police close Kitchener road to deal with barricaded person

Police are asking the public to avoid Robert Ferrie Drive in Kitchener as officers respond to a barricaded person.

Search continues for two missing women in the Grand River

The search continues for two missing boaters in Kitchener, Ont. who reportedly ran into trouble this weekend on the Grand River.

'We stopped them': Sask. commits to pay Canada Revenue Agency 50% of skipped carbon levy payments

Saskatchewan’s justice minister is celebrating a minor victory in her dispute with the federal tax agency over the carbon levy on home heating.

'What the f**k are you doing in this yard': Men who beat up a 45-year-old man on Sask. farm sentenced

Two cousins who beat and tied up a 45-year-old man on a farm near Melfort in 2022 were given a two-year sentence on Monday, which will be served in the community.

Labour groups apply to intervene in appeal of Sask. law that forces workers to 'out' trans youth

Three unions have joined forces to intervene in the appeal case over Saskatchewan's pronoun consent law.

Northern Ontario

Massive sinkhole caused by intense rain in northeastern Ontario

Cleanup is continuing after a storm bringing intense rain to parts of northeastern Ontario passed through the region on Monday washing out roads and creating sinkholes.

Things flight attendants say they would never do when travelling

For some airline passengers, flying can be a daunting and stressful journey. For others, it's a welcome experience to see the world from hundreds of feet high. CTVNews.ca spoke with a Canadian flight attendant to find out what he wouldn't advise passengers to do before and during flights.

Former Sudbury Wolves star Quinton Byfield signs $31M contract with LA

The Los Angeles Kings have signed former Sudbury Wolves centre and emerging NHL star Quinton Byfield to a five-year, $31.25 million contract extension.

BREAKING | OPP recover body from waters of Port Stanley beach

OPP have confirmed to CTV News that a body has been pulled from Lake Erie as of 2:55 p.m.

Multiple road closures due to flooding

Drivers are asked to proceed carefully in flooded areas and not to attempt to drive on closed roads.

Days after swimmer disappears in Lake Erie, 4 people rescued in same Port Stanley area

Four people were rescued from Lake Erie near Port Stanley on Monday night. Around 9 p.m., emergency services responded to a report of swimmers in distress off the main beach.

Impaired driver guilty of causing head-on crash handed lowest possible jail sentence

A Barrie man will spend a year behind bars after pleading guilty to driving while high and crashing head-on into another vehicle in 2022.

Driver charged in crash that claimed life of 6-year-old Orillia girl

Police have laid charges in the death of a six-year-old girl struck by a vehicle in Orillia in January.

Non-alcoholic shop opens downtown Barrie

One couple is revolutionizing the non-alcoholic beverage market in Simcoe County.

Abduction, torture of 3 people leads to 12 suspects charged: Windsor police

Windsor police have charged 12 suspects in connection with the abduction and torture of three people and investigators believe there may be more victims.

Police seek suspect after man shot in the leg with a rifle

Windsor police officers are asking for help locating a suspect following a shooting in the city’s west end.

UWindsor speaks out following WJF's criticism

On July 11, two deals were reached between the pro-Palestinian protesters and the University of Windsor.

Vancouver Island

Mounties investigating b.c. brush fire sparked by fireworks at youth party.

Mounties on Vancouver Island are investigating a brush fire that scorched a large swath of a popular seaside park in Nanaimo, saying upwards of 150 young people were partying in the park when the blaze began.

Motorcyclist seriously injured in Kelowna crash: RCMP

A motorcyclist was severely injured in a crash with an SUV Sunday afternoon, according to the Kelowna RCMP.

Crews searching for Alta. man swept away by river in B.C.

A search effort is underway for a man who was swept away by the North Thompson River in Kamloops on Friday.

1 dead, 17 displaced after Kelowna apartment fire

One person is dead and 17 others have been displaced after a stubborn fire burned overnight in a Kelowna apartment building.

Vauxhall, Alta. man wins big on Lotto Max: 'Just couldn't believe it'

A southern Alberta man says it feels great to have won the lottery.

Country artist recalls singing 'Freedom' at Coutts blockade, court hears

The COVID-19 blockade at Coutts, Alta., drew on support from a cross-section of people, including a country musician who jumped at the chance to perform 'Freedom' at the barricade, a courtroom heard Monday.

City of Lethbridge using AI to detect, reduce contamination rate in blue, green carts

A new pilot program is helping to find, track and remove contaminated materials from Lethbridge's green and blue carts using artificial intelligence (AI).

Sault Ste. Marie

Sault YMCA exceeds membership target, receives support from the city

The community-wide effort to save the YMCA in Sault Ste. Marie is officially a success.

Sault police arrest suspect wanted in March break-in

Police in Sault Ste. Marie made an arrest Monday in a break, enter, theft and mischief case that took place March 31.

Sault suspect charged with breaking into same business three times in four days

A 39-year-old in the Sault discovered the third time wasn’t the charm when he was arrested for breaking into the same business for a third time in just a few days.

Ground crews to start attacking Labrador City fire, national help limited

Ground crews are set to begin dousing a roaring wildfire near Labrador City that forced thousands of people to evacuate last week.

Newfoundland wildfires force temporary shutdown of iron ore mines

Wildfires burning near Labrador City, N.L. have prompted mining companies in the area to temporarily halt operations.

Firefighter hopes rain will be sufficient to dampen western Labrador wildfire

Water bombers from Quebec are helping to fight a wildfire that has forced the evacuation of Labrador City.

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