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Primate asks for prayers for earthquake victims

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Published on 
February 22, 2011

In accord with a request for prayer from the Bishops of New Zealand, I ask for the prayers of our church for all affected by the 6.3 earthquake near Christchurch. As the Dean of the cathedral has said “the cathedral is severely damaged but it’s about people and lives. We’ve got to take care of one another and pray for each other.”

Let us hold in prayer all those who await news of loved ones believed to be buried in the rubble, all who have died or been seriously injured and all who are providing emergency services.

In particular I ask you to remember Bishop Victoria Matthews and all who are providing pastoral care at this critical time.

I issue this call for prayer, confident in your compassion, in the name of Jesus Christ.

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.