Canada: Bishop calls for prayers following Parliament Hill shooting

By André Forget
Posted Oct 23, 2014

[Anglican Journal] Diocese of Ottawa Bishop John H. Chapman has called for prayers following the shooting on Parliament Hill the morning of Oct. 22. “Like all Canadians, we are following today’s news from Parliament Hill with shock and trepidation,” he said in a statement issued this afternoon.

Chapman noted that the shooting took place “just blocks from our synod office.”

The shooting began shortly before 10 a.m. when a man who has not yet been identified opened fire on a soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial before hi-jacking a car, driving to the Parliament Buildings and entering the Centre Block. He opened fire again, injuring two security guards, but was shot dead shortly afterwards, reportedly by Parliamentary sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers.

The soldier who was fatally wounded has been identified as Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, age 24, a reservist from Hamilton, Ont. Chapman urged prayers for the victim, “for all those at the centre of this situation and for a return to calm in our homes, hearts and streets.”

He added: “In this moment of huge uncertainty, building lockdowns, evacuated streets, barricaded shopping malls and minute-by-minute updates, we draw strength and courage from our faith and pray that this event will soon be over.”

When contacted this morning, the Ottawa diocesan synod office (located about a mile from Parliament Hill) reported being put on lockdown. Michael Herbert, who serves as director of financial ministry at the synod office, told the Anglican Journal that while many people were “going about their business,” police were also stopping and searching vehicles coming down Wellington Street (the main thoroughfare passing Parliament Hill).

Those at the synod office were later advised to stay away from windows and doors, and citizens have been told to avoid the downtown core as police search for other suspects, according to Art Babych, editor of the diocesan newspaper, Crosstalk.

No one has been taken into custody at this time.


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Comments (1)

  1. Julian Malakar says:

    These killing sprees by Muslim terrorists around the world are not going to be over soon until truth about Islam be opened to public for awareness and Muslims fight for rectification to live with peace with their non-Muslims neighbors. This morning another Muslim convert hacked two police officers in New York City with an ax. Interestingly all terrorists works are committed by Muslim converts and they are inspired from word of Quran to hate Jews and Christian. On the contrary Christian converts are transformed to love others.

    In Quran Sura 9:29 says “Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture – [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled”.

    In another Sura Qur’an 5:51—“O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people”.

    Teaching of Muslim’s Al-Quran is opposite to teaching of Jesus Christ. Christ teaches us to love enemy but Quran teaches to kill unbelievers.

    May Almighty God protect us from evil spirt and grant His peace!

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