Governor General Mary Simon will represent Canada at the funeral of Pope Francis, scheduled for Saturday at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that he will not attend the funeral due to the ongoing federal election campaign, stating, “I’m not going to be attending the funeral, given the crucial election and sending the right signal” .
The Canadian delegation will include Simon’s husband, Whit Fraser, and Senate Speaker Raymonde Gagné . Additionally, all five of Canada’s cardinals are expected to attend, along with various bishops and Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand . Quebec’s International Relations Minister Martine Biron will represent the province, noting, “The majority of Quebec citizens are Catholic. It’s part of our history, our heritage” .
Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at age 88 due to a stroke and heart failure, was known for his advocacy for the poor and efforts to foster inclusion within the Catholic Church. His 2022 visit to Canada, described as a “penitential pilgrimage,” included an apology for the Church’s role in the residential school system. Simon, who is Inuk, remarked that the apology was “a testament to his commitment to respect, dialogue and collaboration across cultures and faiths” .
The funeral will be attended by numerous world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy . Canada’s representation at the funeral aligns with its tradition of sending high-level delegates to papal funerals, as seen in 2005 when then-Prime Minister Paul Martin and opposition leader Stephen Harper attended Pope John Paul II’s funeral .