Where is Pope Francis going, and who is he meeting, during his 6-day visit to Canada?

Pope Francis is set to arrive in Canada on Sunday for a six-day tour, marking the first papal visit to the country in 20 years.

The pope is scheduled to travel to Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit, where he will meet with Indigenous leaders and residential school survivors. He is expected to deliver an apology for the Catholic Church’s role in the residential school system.

Here is a full itinerary of the Pope’s visit:

SUNDAY JULY 24

Pope Francis is scheduled to land at Edmonton International Airport and attend a welcome ceremony. There will be no events for the rest of the day in order to allow the 85-year-old pontiff to rest.

MONDAY JULY 25

The Pope is set to meet with residential school survivors from across Canada in the morning at Maskwacis, Alta., home to the former Ermineskin Residential School. This is the only residential school visit on the Pope’s itinerary.

Later in the afternoon, the pontiff will return to Edmonton and meet parishioners and Indigenous community members at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples. This church had been known as a space that routinely blends Catholic and Indigenous traditions, and was recently reopened after an accidental fire in 2020.

TUESDAY JULY 26

Pope Francis will hold an open-air mass at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium with up to 65,000 attendees to mark the Feast of St. Anne, which celebrates the mother of the Virgin Mary, a widely revered figure among Indigenous Catholics.

After the mass, he will travel to the Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage National Historic Site northwest of Edmonton and welcome Indigenous pilgrims from throughout Canada and the United States.

WEDNESDAY JULY 27

The Pope will depart for Quebec City, where he will meet Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as Indigenous leaders and other dignitaries at the Citadelle of Quebec

While the meetings at the Citadelle will be private, the public is invited to attend the programs of Indigenous cultural expression at the Plains of Abraham. No tickets will be required for events at the Plains.

Following his meetings at the Citadelle, the Pope will ride through the Plains of Abraham in his Popemobile and greet the public.

THURSDAY JULY 28

Pope Francis will hold a morning mass at the National Shrine of Saint Anne de Beaupré. The mass will also be broadcast on video screens at the Plains of Abraham.

In the early evening, the Pope will hold a prayer with clergy at the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec.

FRIDAY JULY 29

The day will begin with private meetings at the residence of the Archbishop of Quebec. The Pope will meet with members of the Society of Jesus, a religious order with the Catholic Church more commonly known as the Jesuits.

He will also be meeting with a delegation representing Indigenous people from eastern Canada before flying to Iqaluit.

The Pope will start his tour of Iqaluit with another private meeting with residential school survivors before attending a free public community event hosted by Inuit leaders outside a local elementary school.

Pope Francis is set to fly back to Rome later that evening.

Souce: CTV