Montreal, August 11, 2023 – It is with great sadness that Development and Peace – Caritas Canada learned of the death of Archbishop Marcel A. Gervais, Archbishop Emeritus of Ottawa.
Archbishop Gervais was a tireless advocate for social justice and a staunch advocate for the poor. As a priest, Father Gervais served as a member of Development and Peace’s National Education Committee and was deeply committed to both Vatican II and Populorum Progressio, Pope Paul VI’s 1967 encyclical On the Development of Peoples from which our organization took its name.
As part of our Jubilee 2000 campaign, Archbishop Gervais joined the Anglican Bishop of Ottawa and thousands of supporters on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill to demand that the G7 countries cancel the crippling debt of the world’s fifty-five poorest nations. In the end, over 640,000 Canadians would lend their support to this international appeal.
Development and Peace Caritas – Canada Executive Director, Carl Hétu, who had the opportunity and the privilege of working closely with Archbishop Gervais from 1992 to 2007, was struck by the Archbishop’s dedication to social justice. “Archbishop Gervais was committed to helping Canadians understand the social teachings of the Church from a gospel perspective to apply these to social issues in the world. A strong advocate for ecumenical and interreligious cooperation and collaboration, he firmly believed that Canada’s major religions were called to work together to bring about change for the good of the entire human family.”
Where we at Development and Peace – Caritas Canada wish to express our condolences to his family and to all those that loved him, we hope that they find some solace in the knowledge that Archbishop Gervais’ witness served, and will continue to serve, as an inspiration to both people of faith and to the general public.
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About Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada
Development and Peace — Caritas Canada is the official international development organization of the Catholic Church in Canada. It works in partnership with local organizations in over 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin American and the Middle East to create greater justice in the world and to act in solidarity with the most vulnerable people.
For more information, contact:
Hélène Gobeil
Communications and Campaigns Director
Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada
514 257-8710 ext. 355 | hgobeil@devp.org
