Pope Francis expected to issue an apology to Indigenous residential school survivors, families while at the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School site
MASKWACIS — Pope Francis is expected to speak publicly for the first time on his Canadian visit at a meeting Monday morning with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in a community south of Edmonton.
Francis is scheduled arrive in Maskwacis at the Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows church, where he is to be greeted by a pastor of the community, Indigenous priest Gary Laboucane, as well as a small group of elders and local parishioners. It is then planned for Francis to head to an area known as Bear Park, or Maskwa Park, which is often used for powwows. Thousands of survivors, elders and their family are to be in attendance.
Francis is expected to speak in Spanish, his first language, which will be translated into English by a priest. Francis is set to speak later Monday with Indigenous Peoples and parish members at the Church of Sacred Heart in Edmonton. "Many people have always felt that an apology was nothing but hollow words. But when the Pope made an announcement to come to Alberta and talk to our people, people started feeling like there was a sense of hope," he said.
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