Assembly of First Nations (AFN) delegates speak with reporters in Rome, Italy, following their meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Speaking with reporters are Gerald Antoine (regional chief of the Dene First Nation), Wilton Littlechild (chief of the Ermineskin Cree Nation), Phil Fontaine (former national chief of the AFN), Fred Kelly (spiritual adviser and elder), Archbishop Richard Smith (archdiocese of Edmonton) and Reverend Raymond Poisson (president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops). Also taking part are Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir (chief of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation), Mandy Gull Masty (grand chief of the Cree Nation Government), and Rosalie LaBillois (co-chair of the AFN National Youth Council). First Nations, Métis, and Inuit delegations that include elders, knowledge keepers, and residential school survivors are participating in a series of meetings with the Pope this week as part of an effort to secure a papal apology for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential school system. (March 31, 2022)