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Before commercial air travel, which only became common in the mid-20th century, it was considered historically rare for a pope to travel beyond Europe.
This is according to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), which says that “the main reason a pope would travel to another diocese in Italy or to another country in the world is to respond to a specific pastoral need “.
Reconciliation is called for today, and Pope Francis is preparing to meet with indigenous peoples during a six-day tour of Canada. His visit is an attempt to apologize for the Catholic Church’s role in forcing an estimated 150,000 Indigenous children into Canada’s boarding school system.
As Pope Francis arrived in Edmonton in what marks the first papal visit to the country in 20 years, CTVNews.ca looks back at other historic visits by a former head of the Catholic Church.
Apostolic Visit of Pope John Paul II, September 9, 1984
The first papal visit to Canada took place in 1984 when Pope John Paul II disembarked the papal plane in Quebec City. The trip included a 12-day tour of the country visiting Quebec City, Trois-Rivieres, Montreal, St. John’s, Moncton, Halifax, Toronto, Midland (Ontario), Winnipeg/St. Boniface, Edmonton, Yellowknife, Vancouver and Ottawa.
“In English and French, the Holy Father made more than 30 important addresses, as well as many other declarations, some of which were addressed to indigenous peoples,” the CCCB website says.
Apostolic Visit of Pope John Paul II, September 20, 1987
The second papal visit to Canada took place on the morning of September 20, 1987, when Pope John Paul II returned to visit Fort Simpson in the Northwest Territories – a destination on the itinerary of his earlier visit, which was canceled due to weather conditions had to.
On its website, the CCCB described the visit as a “spiritual celebration.”
Third Apostolic Visit of Pope John Paul II, July 23, 2002
The Pope’s third visit was in July 2002 for World Youth Day in Toronto, where, according to the CCCB, “a flock of more than 800,000 people gathered in Downsview Park for the final papal mass.”
The Pope spent six days in and around the Canadian city.
What to Expect from Pope Francis’ Visit
Pope Francis’ planned destinations include the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School in the Maskwacis parish of Alberta. Here he is supposed to officially apologize to the indigenous peoples for the role of the Catholic Church in boarding schools.
The Canada tour also takes the Pope to Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit.
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