London (CNN) – Pope Francis on Wednesday accepted an invitation from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCEC) to make an apostolic visit to Canada, as part of the pastoral process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples that has been ongoing for some time. .
The Vatican said Francis had indicated his “willingness to visit the country at a date yet to be determined.”
Canada’s Catholic bishops said in a statement they were grateful to Pope Francis for accepting their invitation, adding that a Canadian delegation including Indigenous survivors, elders, knowledge keepers and youth was to meet the pontiff at the Vatican in December.
“The Bishops of Canada have engaged in meaningful discussions with Indigenous peoples, especially those affected by residential schools who have shared stories of the suffering and challenges they continue to experience,” said CCBC President Raymond Fish. “We pray that Pope Francis’ visit to Canada will be an important step on the path to reconciliation and healing,” he added.
The Vatican’s announcement comes as Canada grapples with its history of systematic abuse against Indigenous communities, following the discovery this year of hundreds of human remains at two former boarding schools run by Catholic religious groups.
Boarding schools were part of a compulsory education system operated by the Canadian government in collaboration with religious authorities during the 19th and 20th centuries with the aim of forcibly assimilating young native people.
Canada issued a formal apology to former students of residential schools in 2008, calling them “a sad chapter in our history”, and this year held its first national commemoration to honor the victims and survivors of that school system.
“Amateur web enthusiast. Award-winning creator. Extreme music expert. Wannabe analyst. Organizer. Hipster-friendly tv scholar. Twitter guru.”