Most Reverend Metropolitan Sotirios of Toronto,
Most Honourable representatives of the leaders of this province,
Beloved spiritual children in our Lord,

Visiting for a second time this great City of Vancouver that boasts a great number of people, and which is bursting with vitality, life and much activity upon the occasion of our paternal visit - first, with the faithful members of the Orthodox Church who reside here, and then with all their beloved fellow citizens - we express our deep joy and satisfaction and our gratitude, as well as that of our most distinguished delegation, for the gracious and honourary welcome extended to us. We also thank you for your kind and hospitable words at this historic event of our meeting today in this new and blessed land, to which your forefathers immigrated from their ancient ancestral homes.

We address our cordial and friendly greetings of love to all, and bestow upon you the blessing of the maternal Holy Great Church of Christ in Constantinople, as well as our paternal and Patriarchal blessings. The message which we convey and proclaim to all, is the message of peace and creativity; reconciliation and cooperation; forbearance and love. It is absurd to waste our resources in destructive ways. We can and are obliged to make use of them in a resourceful and appropriate manner, doing the correct and good thing for all.

We are pleased that our message is not new or innovative for Canadians, but is generally accepted. Therefore, we have a common understanding about this paramount and most important issue, and we are sure that we both agree on many others as well.

The Orthodox Church, which we represent in our person as the first among its Hierarchs and its Ecumenical Patriarch, is characterized by the spirit of brotherhood of all individuals and peoples. The Church condemns violence and encourages all towards friendship, reconciliation and cooperation with one another. Although the Church believes that the world is created by God as being "very good" and as being worthy of our environmental concern, it also manifests to all that beyond this material world, there exists the spiritual world to which all are called by God, and where there exists our eternally existing homeland, final joy and complete happiness.

We thank all, and pray that God may bless and protect each one of you. Amen.