The Council of General Synod, meeting in Mississauga, Ont., has unanimously passed the following motion: “That this Council of General Synod … call the church to prayer on behalf of all those involved in the negotiations between the Hon. Frank Iacobucci, legal counsel for former students, the Assembly of First Nations and legal counsel for other involved church entities, that these negotiations will result in a fair and lasting resolution of the legacy of Indian Residential Schools in Canada.”
(Last May, the Government of Canada appointed Mr. Iacobucci, a retired Supreme Court judge, as its negotiator to lead discussions aimed at resolving native residential schools issues.)
In a report to CoGS Thursday, Acting General Secretary Ellie Johnson noted that Mr. Iacobucci has been working to deadlines for showing progress in his work and that these deadlines have now been accelerated by the possibility of a federal election being called.
The following prayer is suggested:
Gracious God, Creator of all,
We offer deep and heartfelt prayer for all those wounded by policies of assimilation and residential school experience. We pray especially for The Honourable Frank Iacobucci, representatives of former students, the Assembly of First Nations, the Anglican Church of Canada, and all others involved in the negotiations as they seek a fair, just and lasting resolution to the legacy of Indian Residential Schools. Lord, make them instruments of your peace. AMEN