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A statement on Libya from the Primate

This content was published more than 14 years ago. Some information may no longer be current or accurate.

Published on 
February 23, 2011

“That none be afraid”   (Ezekiel 34:28)

In these days, the world is witnessing massive protests pressing for change in governance in a number of nations throughout the Arab world. In Libya the demonstrations are being brutally crushed by the military on orders of the President. Many have been killed and hundreds seriously injured. Terror fills the hearts of thousands of people. Their relatives throughout the world anxiously await word of their fate.

I join with other political and religious leaders in calling for an immediate cessation of these horrific acts of oppression. We take our stand with the people and their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech.

I ask for your prayers for the people and the manner in which they voice their hopes and dreams for the future of their homeland. Let us pray for those who govern that they may hear and have mercy. Let us also uphold all those who endeavor to chart ways forward with outcomes representing just and lasting peace and security for all.

We pray in the name of the Lord who calls us to be repairers of the breach and restorers of the streets (Isaiah 58:12). We pray in the hope that all may dwell in peace and none shall be afraid. (Ezekiel 34:28)

Fred Hiltz
Archbishop and Primate

Acknowledging the land and God’s creation

This acknowledgement is crafted in light of the Principles of Reconciliation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as we seek to live faithfully in Christ and in right relationship with all. 

We give thanks to the Creator for this land, its waters, forests and all living beings, and for the abiding presence of Christ among us. From coast to coast to coast, these have been cared for and nurtured by First Nations, Inuit and Métis through countless generations. 

We honour the enduring relationship Indigenous Peoples have cultivated with these lands and waters, and the treaties and agreements that reflect these sacred bonds. We acknowledge the harms caused by colonial expansion, through frameworks like the Doctrine of Discovery and structures like the residential school system. We recognize our past failures as a Church, including disruption of connections to the land and suppression of Indigenous spiritualities. 

Guided by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we confess our need for healing. We commit ourselves to seeking truth, pursuing reconciliation and nurturing harmony with all creation. We place our trust in Christ, through whom all things are reconciled to God. 

May God strengthen us to live faithfully as stewards of the Earth. Let us walk in love, justice and reconciliation, joining in God’s work to restore all creation.