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Archbishops praise fallen aid workers

Archbishop of Canterbury Most Rev Justin Welby has joined the primates of this Church to condemn afresh the war in Ukraine following the deaths of New Zealand and British aid workers Andrew Bagshaw and Christopher Parry. 
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• Church of England's top cleric praises Kiwi aid worker killed in Ukraine

Taonga News  |  28 Feb 2023

The Archbishop of Canterbury and Archbishops of this Church have spoken out in praise of two aid workers, Andrew Bagshaw from New Zealand and Christopher Parry from the United Kingdom, who have lost their lives seeking to bring to safety a victim of the war in Ukraine. The Archbishops' statement reads as follows:

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There is no moral justification for Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. 

Christopher and Andrew believed that in the face of such immoral aggression, with such high cost to innocent lives, they could not stand by, they had to act. They gave their lives trying to save the lives of others. They took aid to the most vulnerable in the most dangerous situations. We make the following statement in their memory and out of deep respect for their sacrifice.

We are united in our shared beliefs in: 

(i)  The love of Almighty God, and of all our fellow humans, 

(ii)  our rejection of hatred as manifest in immoral and unjust aggression and warfare.

On the basis of our united beliefs, we deplore the war in Ukraine and call on all nations of the world to: 

(i)  demand Russia's immediate withdrawal and ceasefire;

(ii)  contribute to the subsequent healing and rebuilding of the sovereign nation of Ukraine.

We stand in prayerful solidarity with the people and churches of Ukraine, and with all those caught up in this terrible war. We pray for those who mourn, those who suffer, and those who fear for their future. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ for His justice and peace.

 

The Most Rev Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury 

The Most Rev Philip Richardson, Bishop of Waikato and Taranaki; Senior Bishop of New Zealand Dioceses; and Primate and Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia

The Most Rev Don Tamihere, Pihopa o Tairawhiti and Pihopa o Aotearora and Primate and Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia

The Rev Sione Ulu’ilakepa, Bishop-elect of Polynesia and Primate-elect of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
 

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