Pope Francis is on a six-day tour of Canada aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples for the Roman Catholic Church's role in residential schools.聽
Here are the latest developments on his stops today in Alberta (all times are MT):
6:10 p.m.
Pope Francis began his homily in a Lac Ste. Anne church by saying hello in three Indigenous languages -- Cree, Blackfoot and Nakota.
Many in the church cheered.
Francis told the crowd we are all pilgrims on a journey.
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5:45 p.m.
Pope Francis spent several minutes sprinkling water he had blessed from Lac Ste. Anne onto people lined up at the annual pilgrimage site.
The pontiff used a traditional wooden tool with a brush on the end and dipped it into a bowl of water as he was pushed in a wheelchair.
Many in the crowd stretched their hands over a fence as he flicked water in their direction.
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5:30 p.m.
Pope Francis waved at hundreds of people as he was pushed in a wheelchair along a path by the shores of Lac Ste. Anne.
Event organizers say he followed the footsteps of those who have made the annual pilgrimage to the site that is believed to have healing powers.
Francis performed a blessing of the lake, then sat in silence looking out at the water.
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5:05 p.m.
Pope Francis has arrived at the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage site, northwest of Edmonton.
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4:45 p.m.
Hats and clothing commemorating the papal visit were sold near an entrance to Edmonton鈥檚 Commonwealth Stadium during today's public mass.
The merchandise was sold for between $10 and $45.
Event organizers say they wanted to make the items available at a reasonable price, with profits going toward the cost of the papal visit.
They say profits are not going to be used for other Catholic church initiatives or programming.聽
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4:30 p.m.
Cindy Bearhead of Alberta's Paul First Nation is one of the hundreds of people attending the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage northeast of Edmonton.
Pope Francis is to arrive at the site late this afternoon.
Barrhead says she's there to represent her grandmother, who had to send four sons to residential school.
Only two came back.
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3:30 p.m.
Angel Dermit says the Pope鈥檚 mass at Edmonton鈥檚 Commonwealth Stadium today reminded her of the rigidity of Catholic Church ceremonies done when she was at Lower Post Residential School in British Columbia as a child.
Dermit travelled to Edmonton from Beaver Creek, Yukon, to attend the mass.
She says she still considers herself a Christian, but practises her faith on her own terms.
Dermit didn't want to go to the event but changed her mind.
She says it was important for her to be there to represent her community and so she can pass down memories of the Pope coming to Canada to her grandchildren.
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2:30 p.m.
M茅tis fiddling, Inuit throat singing and a presentation on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women are taking place at Lac Ste. Anne before Pope Francis arrives there later this afternoon.
A pilgrimage is held at the site northeast of Edmonton every year and many believe the lake has healing properties.聽
Organizers say Francis is to bless the lake and take some of its water to those who are unable to get down to the shore themselves.
1:45 p.m.
The executive director for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, Stephanie Scott, says the Vatican was reluctant to allow its staff to bring a large red banner to the Pope's apology on Monday.
In the end, the banner bearing the names of 4,120 children who died at residential schools was shown at the event.
Scott says in a release that the number of names continues to grow as more children are identified.
She says the visit by Pope Francis is a step toward reconciliation, but his apology is not enough to heal the legacy of harm and hurt caused by the Roman Catholic Church.
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1:10 p.m.
M茅tis Nation of Alberta President Audrey Poitras says she is honoured to be welcoming Pope Francis to the pilgrimage at Lac Ste. Anne later today.
The site northwest of Edmonton has long been sacred to M茅tis, First Nations and Catholic people.
However, Poitras says words and apologies are not enough.
She says she hopes that feeling the spirit of the M茅tis at the location will lead to real actions and accountability.
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12:40 p.m.
Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand has tested positive for COVID-19 and won鈥檛 be attending upcoming events with Pope Francis.
Marchand says in a statement that he tested positive today and will isolate per public health guidelines.
The city鈥檚 deputy mayor is to attend the events instead.
Francis is scheduled to arrive in Quebec City on Wednesday and take part in a mass in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupr茅 on Thursday.
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11:30 a.m.
Priests, deacons and volunteers are distributing communion to tens of thousands of people at a public mass led by Pope Francis at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.
People are lining up at various stations in the stadium to receive communion wafers, which are being placed into their hands.
Organizers have said they hope to complete the process in 10 to 12 minutes.
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11 a.m.
Pope Francis highlighted the importance of parents and grandparents as he delivered his homily during a large public mass in Edmonton.
He says people should treasure and honour grandparents and elders and make sure they are not cast aside or treated with indifference.
The Pope says the young and old must work together to ensure a better future 鈥� one where 鈥渢he history of violence and marginalization suffered by our Indigenous brothers and sisters is never repeated.鈥澛�
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10:45 a.m.
Pope Francis, who has been using a wheelchair, is presiding over a large public mass in Edmonton from a specially designed chair.
The pontiff has also been wearing a specially prepared mitre 鈥� a tall ceremonial headdress 鈥� and vestment adorned with matching Indigenous artwork.
The beadwork is in the style and custom of a traditional dancer from the Nisga鈥檃 Nation on the west coast of British Columbia.
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10:40 a.m.
M茅tis National Council President Cassidy Caron says the Pope's apology on Monday was a step forward on the pathway of truth, justice and healing.聽
In a statement, Caron says in committing to a serious investigation and supports for residential school survivors, Pope Francis has begun to move the Roman Catholic Church from offering "mere words to taking real action."
She says the council will continue to push the church to further reflect on the role of its doctrines in justifying colonizing systems including residential schools.
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10:30 a.m.
Murray Sinclair, the former senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, says the Pope's apology has left a deep hole in the acknowledgment of the full role of the Roman Catholic Church in the residential school system.
Sinclair says in a statement that Pope Francis placed blame on individual members of the church.
But Sinclair says the church itself was a lead co-author of what he calls the "darkest chapters in the history of the land."
He says reconciliation requires action, not passiveness.
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10:20 a.m.
Pope Francis has started a giant public mass at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.
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9:50 a.m.
People at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium hoisted babies up to the popemobile as Pope Francis toured the venue.
The Pope stood up to bless the children, and remained standing to wave and smile at the crowd.
Those gathered at the stadium are cheering, waving and taking photos.
The Pope was also greeted by the sound of Indigenous drumming from a group of Dene drummers from Northern Alberta.
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9:40 a.m.
Pope Francis has arrived at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, where he is to give a public mass to an estimated 70,000 people.
The pontiff is riding in the popemobile and waving at the crowd.
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9:20 a.m.
Edith Didzena says she's attending the Pope's mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton to honour her mother who went to residential school.
She held a photo of her mother, who died before she could hear the Pope's apology for the Catholic Church's role in the institutions.
She says seeing Pope Francis will help her to deal with the trauma of her family's past.
Acknowledging past wrongdoings doesn't erase what happened, she says, but it helps start healing.
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9:10 a.m.
People are continuing to make their way to their seats at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium ahead of Pope Francis's arrival for a public mass, with many still lining up outside.
The stadium 鈥� Edmonton's largest 鈥� has a capacity of roughly 56,000, and organizers say another 10,000 people can be seated on the field itself.
An overflow space has been set up on nearby Clarke Field, where the pontiff is expected to arrive this morning before making his way to the stadium in the popemobile.
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8:55 a.m.
Organizers of the Pope's mass today in Edmonton say 460 priests and 56 deacons are scheduled to distribute holy communion for an estimated 70,000 people.
They say communion stations have been set up throughout Commonwealth Stadium.
They say it's a huge undertaking but hope it can be done in about 10 to 12 minutes.
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8:10 a.m.
Public health authorities in Quebec City are urging caution for when the papal visit shifts to the provincial capital on Wednesday, given a high COVID-19 transmission rate in the region.
In a statement today, health officials say even in outdoor settings, large gatherings can lead to transmission of the virus.
They say face masks are to be distributed to those boarding shuttle buses for a mass with Pope Francis to be held in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupr茅 on Thursday.
Dr. Jacques Girard, an assistant to the director of public health in Quebec City, says participants in the papal visit should act responsibly and not attend if they have COVID-19 symptoms.
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8 a.m.聽
People are lining up to get into Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, where Pope Francis is to give a public mass later this morning.
The Pope is scheduled to arrive just after 9.a.m., and is to first tour the area in the popemobile.
Later in the day, he plans to to travel to Lac Ste. Anne, northwest of Edmonton, to take part in the community's annual pilgrimage.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2022. 聽
The Canadian Press
