In his extensive papal travels, Pope Francis has never journeyed farther north than Iqaluit, capital city of the Inuit\u002Dgoverned territory of Nunavut.
It is a distinctive destination — home to about 7,500 people but not a single traffic light, with no road or rail links to the outside world. Its lone Catholic church serves parishioners from at least five continents; more than 100 of them routinely fill the pews each Sunday.
Given the visit’s purpose, there are mixed feelings about it in Iqaluit, among Inuit leaders and also on the part of the Rev. Daniel Perreault, who oversees the parish of Our Lady of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church.tap here to see other videos from our teamHe said only a handful of his parishioners are Inuit.
“It will be very exciting for the people,” Awa said. “I hope that this will get us moving forward to lift ourselves as Inuit, to the point where we say, ‘Yes, we had many downsides in the past but we must move on.”‘ Iqaluit is by far the largest municipality in Nunavut, a vast territory straddling the Arctic Circle. It is roughly the size of Alaska and California combined, with a mostly Inuit population of about 40,000.Article content
“My gosh, he picked the softest kind of a moment to go,” teased David Phillips, senior climatologist for Environment Canada. “Until he feels what it’s like in February, it’s no badge of courage.” Along with opportunities, Iqaluit has its share of problems. Last fall, government officials declared a state of emergency after water in the capital was deemed undrinkable and potentially tainted with petroleum. They issued a do-not-consume order, and potable water was flown in by plane.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pope Francis arrives in Quebec City for final days of Indigenous reconciliation visitA plane carrying Pope Francis landed Wednesday in Quebec's capital city for the next leg of what the pontiff has described as a “penitential” Canadian journey focused on addressing the harms of Indigenous residential schools.
Read more »
Pope Francis holds public mass in Edmonton on third day of papal visitPope Francis blessed babies and young children who were handed to him as he was driven through Edmonton's football stadium Tuesday ahead of a public mass.
Read more »
Everything you need to know about the visit of Pope Francis to QuebecThe first and last papal visit to Quebec was in 1984, when Pope John Paul II drew an estimated 350,000 people to a mass in Montreal\u0027s Jarry Park.
Read more »