Statement from Archbishop Peter A Comensoli on prayer in Parliament

It is pleasing that both major political parties in Victoria are now agreed on retaining the practice of reciting the Lord’s Prayer in the Victorian Parliament each sitting day.

This is a great outcome, which shows the value of people of faith standing up respectfully and being heard.

Following the letter to parliamentarians that I signed together with religious leaders of various faiths in May, nearly 11,000 people from communities across Victoria signed a petition calling on Parliament not to remove the Lord’s Prayer.

Many others also wrote letters and emails to their local members of Parliament sharing their support.

With this support and the nearly 11,000 signatures, the petition qualified for a debate in the Legislative Council, which took place on 31 July.

It was clear from the debate that the message about the importance of the Lord’s Prayer and its value to the community was heard loud and clear.

Thank you to all who signed the petition and wrote to their local representatives.