The Catholic Register - Readers Speak Out

Written by Catholic Register Readers,

Stand up for life
As a Catholic in Quebec, may I bring to the attention of the readers a grave development in the area of abortion rights. In mid-April, the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec (FMSQ), representing over 8,000 specialist doctors, took a very strong pro-abortion position in its statement of opposition to proposed Bill C-484, a bill that would recognize the personhood of a fetus murdered in the womb.

That same week, the National Assembly of Quebec (the provincial legislature) passed an all-party motion condemning Bill C-484 and stating that in Quebec there is a “social consensus with respect to the right of women to have the choice about ending their pregnancies or not.”

Both of these developments are further advances of the ideologies of the “culture of death” (to use John Paul II’s famous phrase). When a professional association of doctors, those meant to protect and nurture life, and the ultimate political authorities adopt a pro-abortion policy in the same week, it is a very tragic day for our society.

I hope that the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec will quickly voice its opposition to these initiatives. It is important for Catholics and the many non-Catholics in Quebec who do not support abortion to hear that the Catholic Church is not part of the “social consensus” referred to by the National Assembly of Quebec.

It will take courage for the church to stand up to these powerful forces and it may suffer for it, but isn’t that the right thing for the church to do?

Donald Bidd
Dorval, Que.

Poor girl on the bus

The inaugural column of Nova et Vetera by Dorothy Cummings in your April 20 issue was not only disappointing, but marked a disturbing deviation in taste and tone for The Catholic Register. In casually relegating any notion of interfaith dialogue back to the dimension of the pre-Vatican II era, the column provided an excess of vetera and precious little nova. Do we in the Catholic faith “touch real life in a secular world” (editor’s quote) by humourously putting down people of other faiths?

In the column, the “girl on the bus” is not only described as exhibiting a love of family and a profound devotion to her own religious communion, but is also depicted as a generous, perceptive and totally guileless teenager with only one fatal flaw, that of being a Jehovah’s Witness, or as Cummings put it, “a despised J.W.” This pejorative acronym is used no less than seven times in the column. It gives the impression that similar references to other groups, disapproved of by your columnist, could be substituted at will.

As the story continues, you don’t have to read much between the lines to see that the story teller, unfortunately Catholic, who sits next to the girl comes across in stark contrast as condescendingly judgmental and totally self-absorbed. At one point, when she muses that “people were thanking God that it was I, and not they who was sitting beside the J.W. girl,” we could only exclaim: “Give me a break!”

May we suggest an alternate ending where people discover that the girl in the bus was a true heroine in deflecting the attention of Cummings for the entire trip, and thereby allowing the remaining passengers to ride in relative peace.

Steve and Norma Parrotte
Midland, Ont.

School of virtue

I enjoyed reading about the initiatives of the Halton and Toronto Catholic District School Boards in faith, virtue and character education (“Faith, virtue and character,” April 20). It is so true that teachers and a school atmosphere pass on way more to students than just academic information.

I don’t know if people are aware of the school that pioneered programs of character education in Toronto.

Hawthorn School for Girls is an independent school started 19 years ago by parents who felt character education should be front and centre in their children’s education. The school has an advising program (sort of like a character “coach” for each student) and a well developed virtue of the month program. Although the school is open to everyone, it offers a Catholic education and its philosophy is based on the teachings of the church.

I heartily congratulate the people who worked so hard to create this school where character formation is emphasized alongside academic achievement, and I am delighted to read that some of our separate school boards are giving specific recognition to the need for character development programs.

Louise Rebello
Etobicoke, Ont.

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