Chateauguay, MontrealArchbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, has accepted an invitation to lead the Canadian delegation to the 2010 World Religions Summit to be held in Winnipeg this June.
About 100 faith leaders are gathering to pray and hold leaders of G8, the world’s richest countries, to their pledges of support for the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Religions Summit is being held June 21-23, just prior to the G8 Summit scheduled June 24 to 26 in Muskoka, Ont.
Archbishop Hiltz said he accepted the invitation extended by the general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches, Karen Hamilton, because of the church’s commitment around issues of poverty, peace, and the environment. “I view the invitation as a compliment to the Anglican Church and our church’s commitment to mission and the repair of the world,” he told the House of Bishops, which met here Jan. 5 to 7.
Churches have lamented the G8’s lack of progress in honouring commitments to the MDGs. The goals, which targets achievement by 2015, includes addressing issues around war, poverty, illiteracy, disease, gender inequality, child mortality and the environment.