Document Tag: peace and disarmament

Statement Concerning the Hagia Sophia

On July 10, 2020, Turkey’s Council of State annulled the Turkish Cabinet’s 1934 decision to establish Hagia Sophia as a museum. That same day Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an subsequently ordered the reclassification of Hagia Sophia as a mosque rather than a museum. Hagia Sophia is part of the Historic Areas of Istanbul and is […]

Condolence Letter to Bishop Mina of the Coptic Orthodox Church

Dear Bishop Mina, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, It is with very heavy hearts and on behalf of the 25 member denominations of The Canadian Council of Churches that we write to you at this time of profound grief, loss and horror. It was with shock that we heard of the massacre of children, women […]

Peace and Disarmament: Biblical Foundations

The President of The Canadian Council of Churches, the Rev. Dr. Canon Alyson Barnett- Cowan, has articulated the following foundational biblical principles of the Canadian Council of Churches working through Project Ploughshares. The word ‘peace’ appears far more often in the Bible than ‘justice’, ‘righteousness’, ‘grace’ and ‘mercy’. The Bible witnesses to the creation of […]

(French) Media Release: Nous croyons que Dieu veut la paix sur leurs terres comme sur les nôtres

Le Rapport Manley manque malheureusement l’occasion de guider le Canada vers un rôle vraiment constructif dans l’établissement d’une paix durable en Afghanistan. Le groupe d’experts indépendant sur le rôle futur du Canada en Afghanistan, connu sous le nom de commission Manley, reconnaît que le rôle du Canada dans la lutte contre les insurgés est essentiel […]

Media Release: We Believe God Desires Peace in their Land as in Ours

We Believe God Desires Peace in their Land as in Ours The Manley Report, sadly, has missed the opportunity to guide Canada towards a truly constructive role in securing a long term sustainable peace in Afghanistan. The Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan, known as the Manley Panel, accepts the premise that Canada’s […]

Letter to Minister Graham: Foreign Policy Dialogue

Dear Minister Graham, I am pleased to contribute to this foreign policy dialogue on behalf of the Commission on Justice and Peace of the Canadian Council of Churches. Canadian churches have, in many ways, a unique perspective on questions related to foreign policy. Our sister churches around the world inform us of the effects Canadian […]

Letter to Members of Parliament: Canada’s Response to Terrorism – An Ecumenical Appeal to Parliament

Dear Member of Parliament, We are writing with regard to the forthcoming Parliamentary debate concerning appropriate Canadian and international responses to the heinous September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. You and your colleagues in the House of Commons bear the formidable responsibility of guiding our country’s actions in these critical days. We write […]

Letter to Minister Manley: Human Rights and Foreign Trade

Dear Mr. Manley, I am writing to follow-up on your meeting with representatives of the Canadian Council of Churches on July 4, 2001 and propose a new meeting in November 2001. In our letter of July 13 thanking you for making time for the meeting and begin a face-to- face acquaintance with the inter-church human […]

Letter to Prime Minister Chrétien: Canada’s Response to September 11

Dear Prime Minister, First of all we join you, as do all our fellow citizens, in expressing profound sorrow and compassion for all those who died and those who now suffer as a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. As representatives of a very broad Christian ecumenical community we join […]

Message from Canadian Church Leaders: Call for Actions in Response to September 11

To the members of our churches after the tragedy in the United States: Grace to you and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ! We write to you as leaders of Canadian Churches to express our deep compassion for all those who have suffered in the terrorist attacks in the United States. We are part of […]