Canadian Archbishop appointed to Catholic Near East Welfare Association board
Archbishop will focus on relationship building with Christians in conflict zones
Ottawa, November 20, 2024 – The Most Rev. Richard Smith, the Catholic Archbishop of Edmonton, has been appointed to the international board of trustees for the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, the papal organization that responds to the needs of Eastern churches throughout the world.
The 65-year-old Archbishop from Edmonton, Alberta will serve a three-year term on the New York-based board. He has also been appointed to CNEWA’s Canadian board.
“It’s really a way in which the Pope, through CNEWA, can express his closeness and solidarity with the Eastern churches in communion with Rome, especially when they are in very difficult circumstances,” Archbishop Smith said of CNEWA’s mission in a recent interview. “Very often, these days, they find themselves in the hotspots of the world.”
Archbishop Smith currently serves as President of the Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories. The archbishop is also a member of the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council at the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and chair of the ad hoc committee on Indigenous issues. He previously served as president of the CCCB and as general coordinator of Pope Francis’ 2022 visit to Canada.
Archbishop Smith says his work on the CNEWA board of trustees will be informed by his experience working and building relationships with Indigenous peoples.
“We’ve recognized that reconciliation happens one relationship at a time. We need to build relationships based on mutual knowledge and trust. Trust is probably the first thing to go in a war zone and in these conflict areas. We must recover, recapture, trust and a willingness to work together for the greater good,” Archbishop Smith said.
“Archbishop Smith’s experience and leadership are a great blessing for CNEWA and all of the communities we support,” says Dr. Adriana Bara, CNEWA’s national director in Canada. “Every day we work in solidarity with communities facing violence and war. Archbishop Smith’s focus on dialogue and understanding will serve us in our mission for peace.”
Established in 1926, CNEWA provides pastoral and humanitarian support to the Churches of Northeast Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and India, including the Ukrainian [Greek] Catholic Church, the Melkite [Greek Catholic] Church based in Syria, the Chaldean Church based in Iraq, and the Maronite Church based in Lebanon.
While not a relief agency, CNEWA provides emergency aid and empowers Churches to respond through health, social services, and education and the formation of seminarians, women religious, and community leaders.
Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith joins the board of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.
About CNEWA Canada
An agency of the Holy See, CNEWA works for, through and with Eastern churches throughout the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe, providing pastoral and humanitarian support. Founded by Pope Pius XI in 1926, CNEWA was incorporated in Canada as a registered charity by Canada Revenue Agency in 2003. For more information, visit cnewa.ca.
Media interviews and information:
Aline Bedros
Torchia Communications
(514) 250-2332 / aline@torchiacom.com
