While Prime Minister Mark Carney will not attend Pope Francis’ funeral, some people are not happy that Canada’s Governor General will appear at the ceremony in the Vatican this weekend.
On Wednesday, Carney’s office announced that while he would not attend the ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica on April 26, Simon and her husband, veteran journalist Whit Fraser, will lead a Canadian delegation that will also include the Speaker of the Senate, Raymonde Gagné.
Carney’s announcement included a statement saying that he joins Canadians and Catholics worldwide who are mourning Francis, who died at the age of 88 on Apr. 21, shortly after being hospitalized for double pneumonia.
Today, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Their Excellencies the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, and Mr. Whit Fraser will travel to Vatican City to attend the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis. Learn more: https://t.co/aukabaGv18
— Prime Minister of Canada (@CanadianPM) April 23, 2025
“From every corner of the globe, the prayers of the faithful go with Pope Francis as he journeys to his eternal rest. Pope Francis leaves a spiritual and ethical legacy that will shape our collective conscience for generations to come,” the statement reads.
“May we honour his memory by continuing to work for a world that reflects the solidarity, justice, and sustainability that he so powerfully embodied. Requiescat in pace.”
Carney told reporters this week that he will not be taking time away from the ongoing federal election campaign to attend the funeral.
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But some Canadians are not pleased that Canada will be sending a representative to the ceremony at all, citing concerns like the cost of the trip to taxpayers.
“What will this cost us? I’m betting well over 1M,” one person said on X. “The King of England is already going, so why does his representative in Canada need to go?”
“We shouldn’t be sending any government official. Separation of church and state is important. Really annoys me that all our party leaders are religious,” one person said on Reddit.
Meanwhile, some feel it’s the right move.
“Perfectly acceptable given the circumstances,” one person wrote on X.. “It’s not unusual to dispatch an official delegation in place of the Head of State in matters such as this.”
“The funeral of a pope is ceremonial and the Governor-General of Canada is a ceremonial position, so having Simon go makes perfect sense,” another X user commented.
