Pope Francis to meet Indigenous survivors of Canadian schools abuses

First Nations, Metis and Inuit groups to travel to Vatican amid calls for papal apology over children's deaths

Pope Francis has agreed to meet Indigenous survivors of Canada's notorious residential schools in December, amid calls for a papal apology for the Catholic church's role in the abuse and deaths of thousands of children.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) said Francis had invited delegations to the Vatican and would meet three groups - First Nations, Metis and Inuit - separately before presiding over a final audience with all three.