Browse › 2008 › January

January 2008

January 17

These are tough but inviting times for Jesuits

January 17, 2008

This is a momentous time for the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits are currently holding their 35th General Congregation in Rome, a gathering of 219 electors from around the world who will be considering such matters as promotion of justice, ecology, governance, Jesuit-lay collaboration, interreligious dialogue, etc., as well as electing their new general. As the respected historian and director of the Institute of Jesuit Sources, John Padberg, says in his "Preludes to General Congregation 35":

Wrong message sent by response

January 17, 2008

The vigorous letter of Dr. Andrew Caruk in the Catholic Register of Dec. 30—Jan. 6, about what constitutes courage in upholding Catholic teaching on sexual orientation, got me thinking hard about the difficult ecclesial times in which we live.

Zimbabwe politics reaches Canadian shores

January 17, 2008

A week ago, I wrote an opinion piece titled “Zimbabwe in 2008: What ought to happen versus what will happen.” I distributed the article to journalist colleagues in Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States through an e-mail list. I am not aware if the article was used in any publication.

Despair can be beaten by God

January 17, 2008

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A), Jan. 27 (Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17-18; Matthew 4:12-23) It is very difficult to give hope and encouragement to those who have lost everything. What does one say to the victims of natural disasters or wars who have no homes to live in and only the rubble of their cities? Any words of comfort seem like empty platitudes.

A simple book fails through its simplicity

January 17, 2008

…Here comes a sea followed by an ocean…: Very simple reflections on the Second Vatican Council, after 40 years, by Fr. Gianni Carparelli (Caritas Project Publishing, softcover, 179 pages, $15.00 by phone at 416-294-2327) A book praising Vatican II should prosper. Unfortunately, this one might be hurt because its reflections on Vatican II are not just “very simple,” as the title says, but too simple and fragmented. These reflections have also been marred by careless editing.

January 18

Pope takes a pass on visit to Quebec's Eucharistic Congress

January 18, 2008

Pope Benedict XVI won't be coming to Canada this summer to help Quebec City stage the 49th International Eucharistic Congress and mark the city's 400th anniversary.

January 21

Jesuits choose new leader with wide international experience

January 21, 2008

ROME - Spanish-born Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, the newly elected superior general of the Jesuits, called on the more than 19,000 members of his order to strengthen their service to the poor and those excluded from the benefits of economic globalization.

January 22

Italian university protesters miss Pope’s point

January 22, 2008

VATICAN CITY - It was a first, at least in modern times: In Rome, the centre of the Catholic world and the capital of Catholic Italy, a pope felt unwelcome to give a speech at the public university. When Pope Benedict XVI cancelled his planned visit to La Sapienza University Jan. 17, it marked a setback in the pontiff’s difficult dialogue with the contemporary scientific and intellectual world.

January 24

Canadian refugee workers won’t bow to threats

January 24, 2008

TORONTO - Jesuit Father Jack Costello isn’t the sort to yell “Come and get me, Copper” a la James Cagney. At the same time, he isn’t about to quit aiding and abetting refugees who want to come into Canada.

January 25

Jan. 28, 1988: A notorious date

January 25, 2008

It’s not a date we see marked on our calendars. There are no pink, blue, red or white ribbon campaigns lavishly publicized by daily newspapers and TV newscasts. No memorials on Parliament Hill in Ottawa either. Yet Jan. 28, 1988, should live on in Canadian history as a day of tragic infamy.

The Pope should have taken on the rabble rousers

January 25, 2008

Since his election as bishop of Rome in 2005, Joseph Ratzinger has cut a considerably less controversial figure than he did in the old days, when he was the uncompromising head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. But at least in Italy, a public appearance by our Pope outside the Vatican can still cause quite a ruckus.

The intolerance of the secular

January 25, 2008

If it wasn’t so serious it might be funny, the way perceptions and conventional wisdoms can be turned on their head. Intolerance is often seen as the hallmark of religion, the critique raised when the secularist wants to curtail or restrict the role religion occupies in modern societies.

Focus on God, not on yourself

January 25, 2008

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A) Feb. 3 (Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13; Psalm 146; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12) In the animal world there are many ways to impress and intimidate others: colourful plumage, the ability to inflate one’s appearance, displays of ferocity and various forms of body language. Human beings have their own ways of dominating and oppressing others: possessions, titles and marks of respect, fancy dress and ways of life, as well as power and aggressive competitiveness. The “bad” news is that God is definitely not impressed with any of this.

Faith calls us to love

January 25, 2008

Trudging along the slushy sidewalk, I kept my left hand in my pocket, eyes alert, watching for panhandlers. In the pocketed hand was a wad of fresh crisp bills.

Tridentine Good Friday prayer to be revised

January 25, 2008

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI has decided to reformulate a Good Friday prayer in the 1962 Latin Roman Missal that was offensive to Jews, according to an Italian newspaper.

New KAIROS chair a veteran in development work

January 25, 2008

TORONTO - The new chairman of the board for Canada’s largest, Christian and ecumenical social justice organization is a veteran of Third World development work from the Anglican communion.

Change our ways for changing days

January 25, 2008

The pastoral arena or terrain in the Greater Toronto Area is considerably changing every year. The latest numbers from the 2006 Census show quick and dramatic changes in the demographic composition of the metropolis. There were reports that one out of four Torontonians is foreign born. What does this mean? What are the pastoral implications of these data?

Archdiocese of Toronto on top of population growth

January 25, 2008

TORONTO - In the past decade the archdiocese of Toronto has opened 13 parishes and closed none. This is at a time when across Canada, and particularly in Quebec, parishes are closing or amalgamating.

Pro-life group denied status at Thunder Bay university

January 25, 2008

THUNDER BAY, Ont. - Lakehead University Life Support was officially denied club status on campus on Jan. 10. That decision, made by the university’s student union, was based on a poster campaign which some students found offensive.

New CCCB abuse guidelines released

January 25, 2008

OTTAWA - New forcefully worded orientations to guide Catholic dioceses in updating their sexual abuse protocols stop short of being binding on the bishops.