The Vatican issued today, Thursday, the program of Pope Francis's trip to Canada from July 24 to 30, confirming that the Holy Father intends to visit this country despite knee problems that forced him to cancel a similar difficult visit to Africa.

The Pope's visit to Canada comes to apologize to the Indigenous peoples for the abuses that occurred in residential schools run by Catholics.

The Pope's program includes several meetings with groups of Indigenous peoples, as well as a visit to the Maskwacis area, Alberta, where his plane will land first, which also has the largest number of residential schools in Canada.

Pope Francis will hold a special meeting with school survivors in remote Iqaluit, which he will visit for a few hours on his way back to Rome on July 29.

The Pope (85 years old) has been moving for about a month by wheelchair due to a problem with his right knee that makes standing and walking difficult.

The publication of the Pope's travel program to Canada was delayed, which made some believe that the visit might be canceled.