Prime Minister Mark Carney had a short viewers with Pope Leo XIV Sunday afternoon on the Vatican following the pontiff’s inaugural mass in St. Peter’s Sq..
Carney was seated within the second row together with his spouse Diana for the mass, in a piece amongst different world leaders and heads of state.
The prime minister, who’s a religious Catholic, was one of many few world leaders to kneel in the course of the blessing of the Eucharist, and was noticed at two situations taking an image of the Pope on his cellphone to mark the event — earlier than the mass began and after it had concluded.
After the mass, he briefly met the Pope inside St. Peter’s Basilica, alongside his spouse and their daughter Cleo.
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Carney additionally met different world leaders on the similar time, including to his rising listing of official introductions over the weekend. He held spoke with the prime ministers of Australia, Croatia and Eire, in addition to the presidents of Israel and Nigeria.
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Carney had a bilateral assembly with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier Sunday earlier than driving to the Vatican. He had comparable conferences with leaders of Italy, Ukraine and the European Union Saturday.
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13 Canadian MPs additionally attended the mass, together with Jaime Battiste, who was a part of a reception with Canadian Catholic Cardinals on Saturday night in Rome alongside the prime minister.
The Nova Scotia MP mentioned he was wanting ahead to listening to how the Pope “units the tone” for the way he’ll lead.
“It’s type of like our model of the speech from the throne as members of Parliament,” Battiste instructed reporters outdoors Canada’s Official Residence.
Pope Leo — the primary American to carry the title — known as for unity in his homily.
“On this time, we nonetheless see an excessive amount of discord, too many wars brought on by hatred, violence, prejudice, the worry of distinction, and an financial system that exploits the Earth’s assets,” he mentioned.
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Carney arrives in Rome for Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass
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Indigenous leaders have lengthy known as on the Vatican to repatriate hundreds of Indigenous artifacts taken from communities in Canada. The late Pope Francis had expressed a willingness to return colonial-era artifacts within the Vatican Museum.
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Battiste mentioned the return of the artifacts got here up in his assembly with the Cardinals, and their return is a crucial step towards reconciliation.
“I’ve all the time mentioned that reconciliation is a journey, not a vacation spot, and all of us have steps to tackle that journey,” Battiste mentioned.
“I used to be proud to see our prime minister was speaking about reconciliation between Indigenous communities and the Catholic church.”
Quebec MP Jean-Yves Duclos can be a part of the Canadian delegation to the Vatican.
He mentioned the church performs an vital position in fostering peace between nations. Final week Leo provided to host peace talks on the Vatican between Russia and Ukraine.
“We want extra peace on this world, and I believe we will likely be listening to extra of that on the a part of the Pope,” Duclos instructed reporters.
“I believe (internet hosting peace talks) is an important factor that the church can do. The church just isn’t an armed nation, it’s a small state … with plenty of affect. To attempt to convey folks collectively, versus divide our humanity, is the fitting factor to do.”
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