Prior to 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 (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 particular pastoral need.â€
The need today is reconciliation, with Pope Francis gearing up to meet representatives of Indigenous peoples throughout a six-day tour of Canada. His visit is an effort to apologize for the Catholic Church’s role in forcing an estimated 150,000 Indigenous children into Canada’s residential school system.
As Pope Francis has arrived in Edmonton, marking the first papal visit to the country in 20 years, CTVNews.ca looks back at other historical visits by a former head of the Catholic Church.
Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic visit, September 9, 1984
to Canada happened in 1984, when Pope John Paul II stepped off the papal aircraft in Quebec City. The trip entailed a 12-day tour of the country, which included Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Montreal, St. John’s, Moncton, Halifax, Toronto, Midland (Ontario), Winnipeg/St. Boniface, Edmonton, Yellowknife, Vancouver and Ottawa.
“Speaking in English and in French, the Holy Father made more than 30 major addresses as well as many other statements, some of which were directed to Indigenous Peoples,†reads the CCCB website.
Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic visit, September 20, 1987
to Canada occurred on the morning of September 20, 1987, when Pope John Paul II returned to visit Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories -- a destination on the itinerary of his former visit that had to be cancelled because of weather conditions.
On its site, the CCCB described the visit as a “spiritual celebration.â€
Pope John Paul II’s third Apostolic visit, July 23, 2002
occurred in July 2002 for World Youth Day in Toronto, where, according to the CCCB, “a flock of more than 800,000 people gathered at Downsview Park for the closing Papal Mass.â€
The Pope spent six days in and around the major Canadian city.
What to expect of Pope Francis’ visit
Among Pope Francis’s scheduled destinations is theformer Ermineskin Indian Residential School in the Alberta community of Maskwacis. This is where he is expected to issue an official apology to Indigenous Peoples for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools.
The Canadian tour will also bring the pope to Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit.
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