On May 13, the Holy See Press Office announced that Pope Francis, “having accepted invitations from civil and ecclesiastical authorities, as well as the Indigenous communities,” will travel to Canada from July 24 – 30 and visit the cities of Edmonton, Iqaluit, and Québec. The locations were chosen by the Vatican and the Pope’s mobility and health issues had to be considered.
Why Edmonton, Iqaluit and Quebec?
- Edmonton has the second-largest urban Indigenous population in Canada and 25 residential schools were in Alberta, the most of any Canadian province or territory.
- Iqaluit has the highest per capita population of Inuit (3,900) of any Canadian city with more than 5,000 people.
- Quebec is home to Ste. Anne-de-Beaupré; one of the oldest and most popular pilgrimage sites in North America.