TORONTO — While Pope Francis may visit Canada amid calls for him to apologize for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools, Indigenous leaders say his visit must be “more than a gesture” in order to have an impact on reconciliation.
The Vatican said in a statement Wednesday that Pope Francis is willing to visit Canada, after the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops invited him in the “context of the long-standing pastoral process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.”
The statement said the Pope indicated his “willingness” to do so at an undetermined date.
