Governor Mary Simon will represent Canada at the funeral of Pope Francis – National
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Governor Mary Simon will attend Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday in the Vatican.
“I will not attend the funeral given…the key election and the right signal,” he said on Wednesday in the Victoria Liberal Leader’s campaign.
“We represent us properly at the highest level and we will also work with the High Delegation,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said the remaining delegations had not been completed.
The funeral will be held on Saturday at St. Peter's Square and will be attended by President Donald Trump, including U.S. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Archbishop of Toronto Frank Leo said five Canadian cardinals are expected to attend. Various bishops will also attend, as will the President of the Manitoba Metis Federation David Chartrand.
Quebec's Minister of International Relations Martine Biron said she will represent the province at the funeral.
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“Most Quebec citizens are Catholics. This is part of our history,” Billon told reporters in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Pope Francis, who visited Canada in 2022, called it a “pilgrimage of penance” and apologized for the role of the Catholic Church in the residential school system.
Simon of Inuk recently said the apology “proves his commitment to respect, dialogue and collaboration across cultures and beliefs.”
In 2023, Canada sent Paul Gibbard, the head of its diplomatic mission, to the Holy See, to attend the funeral of Honorary Benedict XVI, who retired from the Pope in 2013.
In 2005, at the funeral of Pope John Paul II, he was represented by then Prime Minister Paul Martin and opposition leader Stephen Harper. Phil Fontaine, then director of the Aboriginal Council, also attended the meeting.
The Vatican announced on Monday that Francis died of a stroke and heart failure at the age of 88.
His 12-year mission is characterized by his focus on the poor and inclusive message, but he has also been criticized by conservatives, who sometimes feel alienated by his tendency to progress.
– With documents from Sidhartha Banerjee from Montreal and the Associated Press.
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
