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August 2008

August 25

CWL takes aim at human trafficking

August 25, 2008

The Catholic Women’s League of Canada (CWL) adopted a resolution this month to “urge the federal government to take action to prevent human trafficking at the 2010 Olympics.” The resolution was made at the CWL’s 88th annual national convention in Winnipeg Aug. 10-13. The convention drew more than 750 delegates, representing nearly 98,000 women from across Canada.

Morgentaler petition delivered to Governor General

August 25, 2008

OTTAWA - Signatures of 30,000 Canadians demanding that abortionist Henry Morgentaler’s Order of Canada be revoked were delivered to the Governor General’s residence Aug. 20. “I am here to say there is nothing heroic or award winning about taking the life of an unborn child,” said Silent No More Awareness Campaign national co-ordinator Angelina Steenstra on behalf of Campaign Life Coalition. “As a woman who has suffered an abortion, I know that to be true."

Irish woman feasts only on Eucharist

August 25, 2008

TORONTO - Chewing gum, wearing strapless tops and receiving Communion in the hand are contributing to increasing irreverence at Mass, argues a 62-year-old mother of two who claims she has been living only on the Eucharist for almost nine years. Irish-born Olive Dawson spoke at five parishes in the Toronto area and Orangeville, Ont., in mid-August. More than 2,000 people heard Dawson speak at three Catholic churches in Scarborough, Unionville and Brampton, all of which were filled to capacity.

Family, friends remember missing woman

August 25, 2008

TORONTO - In one of the last pictures ever taken of Christina Calayca before she went missing last summer, she stands beside her mother and is all smiles. It was taken at a 50th birthday party organized by Calayca for her mother.

Filipino Mass launched

August 25, 2008

TORONTO- The first weekly Filipino-language Mass in Toronto begins at the end of this month in the new home of the city’s Filipino Catholic Mission.

The dangers of cohabitation

August 25, 2008

I have friends who often tell me I’m silly for believing that you can love someone and have a successful life-long relationship without first having lived together.

August 26

Pros and cons of life in youth ministry

August 26, 2008

CALGARY - The position of youth minister, often vital to parish life, can be overlooked or undervalued. It requires long hours, evening and weekend work, dedication, patience and a love for children and adolescents alike. Daunting as it sounds, many youth ministry co-ordinators in the Calgary diocese allow the pros to outweigh the cons.

Let's talk about love

August 26, 2008

The University of Guelph was alive with talk on love during the 10th annual CFC Singles for Christ (SFC) and Youth for Christ (YFC) combined national conference Aug. 15-17.

Dialogue is one way

August 26, 2008

Feminist Theology with a Canadian Accent, edited by Mary Ann Beavis, Elaine Guillemin and Barbara Pell (Novalis, softcover, 444 pages, $34.95). With the Catholic Church refusing to ordain women or even entertain the idea, feminists and the church have entered into a longstanding non-meeting of the minds. Because of this deadlock, dialogue has turned to monologue, a sad reality reflected in the pages of Feminist Theology with a Canadian Accent, a collection of 19 essays by Canadian feminist theologians and scholars.

Salt+Light takes top TV station award

August 26, 2008

TORONTO - Canada’s Salt+Light Television has won a 2008 Gabriel Award from the U.S. Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals, which cited the network’s “value-centred view of society and humanity.”

Monks corner 'soul' music market

August 26, 2008

TORONTO - They shoot hoops, surf the Internet and sing Gregorian chants. And they count Pope Benedict XVI as one of their fans. You could say this group of Austrian monks isn’t your average musical sensation. Their CD Chant: Music for the Soul has rocked the charts in Canada and around the world. During the first month of its Canadian debut in July, the CD ranked second behind Josh Grobin in the Nielsen Canadian SoundScan joint classical cross-over chart. And at one point, it even surpassed pop music powerhouses like Madonna and Amy Winehouse on Britain’s top 10 list.

Suffering often comes from doing right

August 26, 2008

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Aug. 31 (Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27) It is easy to sympathize with the rather unwilling prophet Jeremiah. His proclamation of the “bad news” — violence and destruction — was not well received. Nothing had gone right, he was a laughingstock, his life had been threatened, and he wanted out in no uncertain terms. And he was angry with God — he accuses God of putting one over on him and even forcing him against his will.

Enough already with women's ordination

August 26, 2008

I’m fed up with Roman Catholic Womenpriests (RCWP) and their collaborators inside and outside the Catholic Church. And while I’m on the subject — I’m also not very happy with the namby-pamby way some representatives of Catholic officialdom are dealing with what RCWP is up to.

Religion, morality have a place in public debate

August 26, 2008

The British House of Commons was supposed to once again wrestle this summer with the Human Embryology Bill, a piece of legislation ostensibly designed to bring the legal framework of Britain into line with the realities of genetics research. But Prime Minister Gordon Brown has decided to once again postpone the end state of the debate.

Church is also where laity are

August 26, 2008

In much of the news coverage relating to the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States last spring, it was noted that he “bonded” with the American people, even though some had expected to feel negative towards him.

Paul VI remembered

August 26, 2008

While Humanae Vitae deserved much of the ink spilled last month on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, it would be a shame if this encyclical became the sole marker of the remarkable pontificate of Paul VI. Less noted than Humanae Vitae’s birthday was the 30th anniversary of the death of the pope who led the Catholic Church through much of the tumultuous 1960s and 1970s.

Obama chooses Catholic Biden as running mate

August 26, 2008

WASHINGTON - Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, announced Aug. 23 as Barack Obama's choice as his running mate for the White House, puts on the Democratic ticket a Catholic who supports legal abortion but on other issues has been an ally for the church 's public policy interests. Biden, 65, has come in for his share of conflicts with some in the church over his legislative support for keeping abortion legal. The National Right to Life Committee gives him a rating of 0 for his positions on select issues, including federal abortion funding and stem cell research as well as some relating to lobbying by groups like the National Right to Life Committee.

August 27

ShareLife campaigns hit all-time highs

August 27, 2008

TORONTO - ShareLife, the charitable fund-raising arm of the archdiocese of Toronto, reached record donations for its 2008 parish and corporate campaigns. Arthur Peters, ShareLife’s executive director, said this comes as good news after a rough start to the campaign, noting bad weather kept many potential donors at home for the first ShareLife Sunday collection at parishes throughout the archdiocese in March.

August 28

Do no harm

August 28, 2008

The original Hippocratic Oath, once sworn by all doctors entering their esteemed profession, required that its adherents “do no harm” to their patients. Moreover, it insisted that doctors never participate in euthanasia or assisted suicide or do abortions. How things have changed.

A REAL alternative for the past 25 years

August 28, 2008

OTTAWA - REAL Women of Canada was conceived in 1981 during the debate over Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Gwendolyn Landolt and her friends grew disturbed when the only voices representing women were “just a bunch of feminists” with government funding, she said.