Archbishop and faith leaders tour London 2012 Olympic Park
Tuesday 8th November 2011
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, joined other faith leaders and representatives on a tour of the London 2012 Olympic Park.The visit also marked the launch of the Faith pin badge, the fifth badge created to celebrate London 2012’s six strands of diversity and engage all communities in supporting London 2012.
Reflecting on his visit with the other faith leaders, the Archbishop said:
'The Olympic site is a really impressive testimony to what can be achieved by a clear vision, working with sustainable materials and a long-term conviction about the common good. It is very encouraging to see how communities of faith are being drawn in to this great enterprise of celebration and regeneration.'
During the London 2012 Games, the nine major faith traditions of this country - Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Bahá'í, Jain, Buddhist and Zoroastrian – will be represented in the Multi-Faith Centre in the Olympic Village during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Multi Faith Chaplaincy Service will involve 193 chaplains recruited from the faith communities.
The Archbishop spoke of the important role of the chaplains in working together in a supportive role, and as being ‘accessible, available alongside people as they discover the exciting transforming new horizons of the actual experience of the Games.’
He concluded by saying he wished to join the other faith leaders in holding the Games ‘in our prayers…in the crucial 12 months ahead of us.'
The audio of the Archbishop’s short speech can be downloaded here.