Readers Speak Out: February 2, 2020

Sacrificial example

I want to applaud and fall down on my knees in thanksgiving for the courage and faithfulness of the Delta Hospice Society in British Columbia for not caving in to government pressure to conform to the evil agenda of MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying).  

MAiD is a total deception and nothing more than a death- machine operation that the government wants to enforce upon all. It’s a legal deception of removing conscience rights and freedoms.  

This hospice should be highlighted as a perfect example to all who stand for life. May God provide its leaders tenfold for their sacrificial upholding of truth.  

C. Creglia, 

Toronto

Palliative model

Re: Emergency brakes for slippery slope (Jan. 19):

On reading this column by Charles Lewis on the need for  Catholics to speak up on “the right to die naturally,” I recalled an article in the Montreal Gazette in early January about the opening of a palliative care facility at the former St. Raphael’s Church in Montreal.  

The parish closed in 2008 and the Archdiocese of Montreal agreed to transfer the use of this magnificent building and its land to the community, with the intent of enabling a project that would benefit the entire community. The community determined the primary need was for a palliative care facility and 10 years later it is operating with full staffing to provide care.

Maybe other communities should look at coming together where buildings are available to make similar facilities a reality in their communities.  

Catherine Griffin,

Mississauga, Ont.

Needless provocation

Re: Restraint urged in face of Iran-U.S. crisis (Jan. 12):

The U.S. assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was a needless provocation that has dramatically escalated tensions and sparked a crisis in the Middle East. It was morally wrong and a violation of international law. 

The Trump administration tried to justify the killing by claiming Soleimani posed an “imminent threat.” Really?  In fact, the U.S. had tried to assassinate him many times before.

Particularly troubling was that President Trump appeared to take pride in having authorized the assassination. Did he consider that the attack could potentially start a war in the region, possibly leading to a World War? Did he care?

Still, achieving peace between Iran and the U.S. is possible. As Pope Francis has said, all sides must “keep alive the flame of dialogue and self-control and avoid the shadow of enmity.”

Claudio Ceolin,

Toronto

Worthy member

Thank you for honouring Sr. Sue Mosteller CSJ with your cover and article. 

Besides her many accomplishments, she has touched the lives and hearts of untold numbers of retreatants who over the years have listened to her words of wisdom and learned that each of us is “beloved by God.”

Sr. Sue continues to carry the message of her friends Jean Vanier and Henri Nouwen to this day, as she did so beautifully this past June for five days at Manresa Retreat Centre. 

She is indeed a worthy member of the Order of Canada. 

Catherine von Zuben,

Thornhill, Ont.