A postponed trip to the Vatican with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples has been rescheduled for March.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is confirming that they, along with the Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, will be flying to Rome this spring.

"We remain committed to walking toward healing and reconciliation and very much look forward to the opportunity for Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors, and youth to meet with Pope Francis," the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops says in a statement.

The group was set to arrive around Christmastime to meet with the Pope, but it was postponed after omicron COVID-19 concerns for the communities of the Indigenous delegation. 

Now, they will meet at the end of March and early April, before Easter. Individual Indigenous delegations will meet with the Pope during the week of March 28. A final audience with the whole group will meet on April 1.

"The health and safety of all delegates remain our first priority. In the weeks ahead, we will monitor conditions leading up to the revised travel dates and continue our dialogue with delegates, public health officials as well as the relevant government and international authorities, travelling only when we feel it is safe to do so."

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