Mr. Speaker, today the 1.6 million Roman Catholics of the greater Toronto area officially welcome their new Archbishop, Thomas Christopher Collins, who was consecrated as Archbishop of Toronto at an installation mass in St. Michael's Cathedral today.
Archbishop Collins was appointed by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in December to be the 10th Archbishop of Toronto. As Canada's largest Roman Catholic diocese, Toronto has 223 parishes, where holy mass is offered on altars in more than 30 languages each, including Latin.
At a time of great social change, there is an increased need for the church to instruct the faithful, minister to the needy and strengthen the family.
We pray His Grace will have the strength in his office to follow St. Paul's instruction to St. Timothy:
—proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience – but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching.
Canada's new government sends its greetings and says, Ad multos et faustissimos annos, Your Grace.