John Paul II day bill reintroduced

TORONTO - On Dec. 13, MPP for Newmarket-Aurora Frank Klees once again introduced in the Ontario Legislature a bill to proclaim April 2 Pope John Paul II Day.

The private member’s bill to honour the late pope was first introduced in the legislature on April 2 but debate was cut short because of the government’s decision to dissolve the legislature two weeks early.

When introducing the bill, Klees noted that during both papal visits to Ontario, Pope John Paul II was embraced by the province’s diverse cultural and religious organizations.

Klees efforts have been recognized and endorsed by the Vatican’s Secretariat of State in a letter from Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto, and the President of the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop James Wingle of St. Catharines.

“People of all faiths and those with no specific religious ties, cherish his memory as one who brought to the whole human family a voice of hope and a life-long message of peace,” Klees said.