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Vancouver — A group of Vancouver residents representing a broad range of faiths has invited Pope Francis to tour the Downtown Eastside and two First Nations reserves.

The unusual request involves members of the Jewish, Muslim, First Nations, Anglican, Catholic and United Church communities, who believe Pope Francis could spur real change in the welfare of the city and province’s poor and homeless.

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The invitation has received the endorsement and support of both the Catholic Archdiocese and the Anglican Diocese, who agreed to deliver the written message directly to the Pope through Vatican emissaries in addition to a couriered invitation that the group delivered to the Vatican’s front door.

The effort to get the Pope to Vancouver is not being organized by the churches themselves. Instead, it is the brainchild of Vancouver lawyer Tom Beasley, who said he was motivated after seeing virtually no change over a decade of travelling through and walking in the Downtown Eastside.