Rome sentinel obits update#

He was born June 29, 1943, in Rome, a son of the late Clarence M. Engelbert, age 77, of Rome, passed away peacefully on April 11, 2021, with his loving family at his side. The Vatican on Thursday released the itinerary for Pope Francis’ July 24-30 visit to Canada, providing a sign he intends to go ahead with the trip despite knee problems that forced him to cancel a six-day visit to Africa also planned for next month.įrancis is due to visit Canada to apologize to Indigenous peoples for abuses they suffered at Catholic-run residential schools.David A.

The scaled-back itinerary includes several encounters with Indigenous groups, as well as a visit to Maskwacis, home to the former Ermineskin Residential School, one of the largest residential school sites in Canada. The Canadian bishops conference said Francis’ appearance at individual public events would be limited to one hour, “due to his advanced age and limitations.”Īlberta, where Francis lands first, is home to the largest number of former residential schools in Canada.įrancis will also have a private meeting with survivors of the schools in remote Iqualuit, where he is due to visit for a few hours on his way back to Rome on July 29.įrancis, 85, has been using a wheelchair for over a month because of strained ligaments in his right knee that have made standing and walking difficult. The Vatican has released no details about the type of therapy he is receiving beyond knee injections. The Canada itinerary is light for a typical papal trip, for the most part featuring only one major event each morning and one each afternoon to allow for maximum rest time.įrancis met with Indigenous groups earlier this year at the Vatican and offered a historic apology for the abuses they endured.Ĭanada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for a papal apology to be delivered on Canadian soil.

Rome sentinel obits update#

Phil Fontaine, a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations who was part of delegation that met with Francis at the Vatican, called Thursday’s update “wonderful news.” Francis said at the time of his Vatican meetings that he hoped to make the apology in person this summer. “He made a commitment to us at the Vatican, and he’s following through with that commitment,” Fontaine said. It is a testament to his sincerity,” he added.įontaine, 77, said he and his classmates suffered physical and sexual abuse when he was a boy at the Fort Alexander Indian Residential School in Manitoba “People were anxious that his health issues would force the cancellation of the Canadian papal tour, but clearly he sees it as important. More than 150,000 native children in Canada were forced to attend state-funded Christian schools from the 19th century until the 1970s in an effort to isolate them from their homes and culture. The aim was to Christianize and assimilate them into mainstream society, which previous Canadian governments considered superior. The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse was rampant at the schools, and that students were beaten for speaking their native languages. Indigenous leaders say the legacy of abuse and family separation as a root cause of the epidemic rates of alcohol and drug addiction on Canadian reservations. “We know that the Holy Father was deeply moved by his encounter with Indigenous Peoples in Rome earlier this year, and that he hopes to build on the important dialogue that took place,” the coordinator of the Canada visit, Archbishop Richard Smith, said in a statement.

The president of the Canadian Catholic bishops’ conference, Bishop Raymond Poisson, thanked organizers and offered prayers for the pope. “We pray for the health of Pope Francis and also that his pastoral visit to Canada will bring reconciliation and hope to all those who will accompany our shepherd on this historic journey,” Poisson said in a statement.Obituary: Justin B. NEWS SPORTS TRENDING NOW BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT LIFE COMMUNITY OPINION VIDEOS WEATHER 57.8 F.