Carney travelling to Rome with Liberal MPs for Pope's inaugural mass

[ad_1] Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to depart Canada Friday evening for his first official journey to the Vatican the place he'll attend the inaugural mass for Pope Leo XIV on Sunday.

Carney is a religious Catholic however was unable to attend Pope Francis's funeral on April 26 as a result of it fell two days earlier than the federal election.

The inaugural mass, which serves because the swearing-in of types for a brand new pope, is drawing many worldwide leaders and Carney is anticipated to have bilateral conferences with a number of of them throughout the journey.

The Prime Minister's Workplace (PMO) confirmed members of Parliament from the Liberal caucus, who're practising Catholics or who symbolize massive Catholic constituencies, will probably be travelling with the prime minister.

U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, French Prime Minister François Bayrou and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are amongst those that have confirmed they're attending. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can also be hoping to attend.

Meeting of First Nations Nationwide Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak and Métis Nationwide Council President Victoria Pruden are travelling with the Canadian delegation.

Pruden is asking on the Vatican's Anima Mundi Museum to return Métis cultural artifacts in its assortment.

"We're asking the Vatican to work with Métis knowledge-keepers, historians and specialists to establish which gadgets of their assortment belong to our individuals and to return them," Pruden mentioned in a media assertion.

"These artifacts have been taken throughout eras of profound injustice. Their return is an important step in advancing reconciliation and repairing the deep harms brought on by colonial insurance policies, together with the position the Church performed within the residential faculty system."

Indigenous leaders beforehand referred to as upon Pope Francis to return the artifacts. In 2023 he promised to take action however it has not but occurred.

Leo, nonetheless new to the position, has not but mentioned whether or not he'll honour that pledge.

In an deal with to diplomats posted on the Vatican Friday morning, Leo reaffirmed the Church's efforts to "attain out to and embrace all people and all peoples on the Earth" by means of peace, justice and reality.

"I consider that religions and interreligious dialogue could make a basic contribution to fostering a local weather of peace. This naturally requires full respect for non secular freedom in each nation, since non secular expertise is an important dimension of the human particular person," he mentioned.

"With out it, it's troublesome, if not unattainable, to deliver concerning the purification of the guts needed for constructing peaceable relationships."