Multi-Faith Summit Kicks off with Key Endorsements

OTTAWA — The Faith in Canada 150 Millennial Summit kicked off today with ringing endorsements from two different faith communities:

“As you gather just days before the 150th anniversary of Canada, it is a tremendous blessing to see young Canadians, excited about their faith and claiming a space in the public square for healthy and fruitful ongoing dialogue. There is no better time to remind one another, and all those across the country, that faith matters — from coast to coast across this great land of ours. May your voices resonate for years to come!”

    -     His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto

“It’s important to recognize the role of faith in Canada’s past, present, and future. I’m thrilled to see Canadian millennials gathering in multi-faith friendship for that purpose, especially because they will define the kind of Canada we’ll celebrate at the next milestone in 50 years.”

    -     Balpreet Singh Boparai, legal counsel for World Sikh Organization of Canada and co-chair of the Faith in Canada 150 Cabinet of          Canadians

Over the next two days, 75 delegates from across the country and representing various religious backgrounds will meet in friendship, exchange views, and learn from each other. These youthful faith leaders will explore questions around building genuine pluralism and the connection between religious life and the common good. In his welcome address, Dr. Andrew Bennett, former religious freedom ambassador and Chair of the Faith in Canada 150 Cabinet of Canadians, called on delegates to affirm a place for the expression of faith in the public square as part of Canada’s sesquicentennial celebration.

“Many have bought into the myth that faith is a completely private affair, but it isn’t,” said Dr. Bennett. “Faith is at the core of who we are as people and has helped to make Canada the country it is. It’s important that millennials make that known as we celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary.”

The young people at the summit all had to apply in order to become delegates and either pay their own way or raise support in order to attend. The Millennial Summit will conclude on June 30th.

About Faith in Canada 150

Faith in Canada 150 is a program of Cardus that exists to celebrate the role of faith in our life together during Canada’s anniversary celebrations in 2017. For more than 450 years, faith has shaped the human landscape of Canada. It has shaped how we live our lives, how we see our neighbours, how we fulfill our social responsibilities, and how we imagine our life together. To learn more, visit: faithincanada150.ca/about

About Cardus

Cardus is a think tank dedicated to the renewal of North American social architecture. It conducts independent and original research, produces several periodicals, and regularly stages events with Senior Fellows and interested constituents across Canada and the U.S. To learn more, visit: www.cardus.ca and follow us on Twitter @cardusca.

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Daniel Proussalidis
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613.899.5174
dproussalidis@cardus.ca