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Prime Minister Mark Carney had a brief audience with Pope Leo XIV on Sunday afternoon at the Vatican after the inaugural Mass of the Pontiff in St. Peter’s Square.
Carney sat in the second row with his wife Diana for Mass, in a section, among other world leaders and heads of state.
The prime minister, who is a devout Catholic, was one of the few world leaders to kneel during the blessing of the Eucharist, and was seen in two cases taking a photo of the Pope on his phone to mark the occasion, before the Mass began and after he concluded.
After the Mass, he briefly met the Pope inside the Basilica of San Pedro, along with his wife and daughter Cleo.
Carney also met other world leaders at the same time, which adds to his growing list of official presentations during the weekend. He held the prime ministers of Australia, Croatia and Ireland, as well as with the presidents of Israel and Nigeria.
Carney had a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday before driving to the Vatican. He had similar meetings with leaders from Italy, Ukraine and the European Union on Saturday.
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Thirteen Canadian parliamentarians also attended the Mass, including Jaime Battiste, who was part of a reception with Canadian Catholic cardinals on Saturday night in Rome along with the prime minister.
The New Scotland deputy said he hoped to hear how the Pope “establishes the tone” of how he will lead.
“It’s like our version of the throne’s speech as members of Parliament,” Battiste told journalists outside the official residence of Canada.
Pope Leo, the first American to maintain the title, asked for unity in his homily.
“At this time, we still see too much discord, too many wars caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, fear of difference and an economy that exploits land resources,” he said.
Indigenous leaders have long asked the Vatican to repatriate thousands of indigenous artifacts taken from communities in Canada. The late Pope Francis had expressed his willingness to return artifacts of the colonial era in the Vatican Museum.
Battiste said that the return of the artifacts arose at their meeting with the cardinals, and their return is an important step towards reconciliation.
“I have always said that reconciliation is a trip, not a destination, and we all have steps to assume that trip,” Battiste said.
“I was proud to see that our prime minister was talking about reconciliation between indigenous communities and the Catholic Church.”
Quebec Jean-Yves Duclos deputy is also part of the Canadian delegation to the Vatican.
He said the Church plays an important role in promoting peace between countries. Last week, Leo offered to organize peace conversations in the Vatican between Russia and Ukraine.
“We need more peace in this world, and I think we will hear more of that from the Pope,” Ducos told reporters.
“I think that (organizing peace conversations) is something very important that the Church can do. The Church is not an armed country, it is a small state … with a lot of influence. Trying to unite people, instead of dividing our humanity, it is the right thing.”
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press
