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September 2010

September 8

International development minister contradicts Canada's abortion policy

September 8, 2010

Bev Oda [images/stories/canada/canada10/odag8.jpg]The Conservative minister in charge of Canada’s international development assistance seems to be singing from a different hymn book than her Conservative colleagues on funding abortions in poor countries. The tune is leading some pro-lifers to call for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to dismiss International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda from the federal cabinet.

Into the lions’ den

September 8, 2010

Pope and Williams [images/stories/international/international10/pope_rowen.jpg]Pope Benedict XVI will land in Britain on Sept. 16 and when commentators suggest preparations are almost complete what they really mean is the lions are being ushered into the den. In this case, the lions would be all those individuals, groups, politicians and, of course, the media who are licking their chops at the prospect of getting their claws into Benedict XVI on home soil. In only the second papal visit to Britain since Henry VIII split with Rome in 1534, and the first since Pope John Paul II drew huge crowds in 1982, Benedict will meet with the Queen, other political and religious dignitaries and be serenaded by Susan Boyle. But the crescendo will be the beatification Mass of Cardinal John Henry Newman in Birmingham on the final morning of the four-day tour.

Dominicans on the side of the underdog for 500 years

September 8, 2010

Dominicans [images/stories/features/feature10/dominicancolombia1.jpg]TORONTO - This year marks 500 years of the Dominicans fighting for the rights of the underdog in the Americas. “The Dominican order in the Americas has promoted justice, education and intellectual life all over the Americas,” said Dominican Friar Marcos Ramos, superior of the Dominicans’ Aquinas House in Toronto.

Holy Sepulchre a magnet for dispute

September 8, 2010

In Israel, as in all countries that contain archeological sites of deep religious significance, there tend to be three levels of authenticity and holiness. First, those that are almost certainly not genuine but are soaked in prayer through centuries of devotion. Second, those that may or may not be the real thing but inspire believers.

On the buses for the Pope's UK visit

September 8, 2010

I have just telephoned my parish priest to get a place on the bus. Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Scotland for the first leg of his four-day state visit to the United Kingdom on Sept. 16, and he will preside over a huge outdoor Mass in Glasgow. I’ve been granted a papal visit press pass by the Foreign Office, but as yet there is no guarantee I’ll get a special press pass to the papal Masses. Therefore, I’ve assured my place the old-fashioned way, as an ordinary Catholic pilgrim. Information and misinformation about the papal visit has been swirling throughout the mainstream media, the Catholic media and the ever-hyper world of the Catholic blogosphere. One of the principal controversies of the visit is that every Catholic who wishes to attend a papal Mass will have to pay £40 to get on the bus — and only buses will be allowed in.

We can only serve one master

September 8, 2010

25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C) Sept. 19 (Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13) A right-wing commentator in the United States recently proclaimed that social and economic justice is a code word for fascism or communism. He went on to insist that anyone hearing references to these concepts in a sermon or homily should leave that particular church immediately.

Emilio Estevez's reluctant path along The Way

September 8, 2010

Emilio Estevez [images/stories/features/feature10/sheen.jpg]Actor and director Emilio Estevez reluctantly went to Spain to tell a story about how faith, hope and walking are all part of the American way of overcoming hard times. Estevez told The Catholic Register his new film The Way is about American spirituality. The story follows four characters walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela through Spain. The pilgrimage is to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galacia, where tradition has it the remains of the apostle St. James are buried.

September 9

Linda Gibbons' court challenge hits a roadblock

September 9, 2010

Linda Gibbons [images/stories/canada/canada10/linda_gibbons.jpg] TORONTO - The ongoing legal battles of pro-life activist Linda Gibbons received a setback at a Sept. 2 hearing when a judge ruled the case against her did not breach her Charter rights and that her lawyer was not entitled to view nine-year-old documents held by the crown attorney. Gibbons’ next court date was set for Sept. 30. Lawyer Daniel Santoro said he was disappointed with the decisions but withheld further comment until after having a chance to review the judge’s detailed ruling, expected to be released during the week of Sept. 7.

September 10

'Social business' plan aims to create social change

September 10, 2010

Yunas [images/stories/international/international10/yunus.jpg]OTTAWA - The Nobel prize-winning pioneer of the micro-credit movement is developing a concept he calls “social business” to lift people out of poverty and perhaps help revitalize Haiti. Mohammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, said his social business model could transform Haiti, still reeling from its devastating earthquake, by creating a problem-solving environment that addresses deep-rooted issues such as employment and housing.

Teachers need to follow in Newman's footsteps

September 10, 2010

Cardinal John Henry Newman [images/stories/historical_people/CardinalNewman.png]TORONTO - Hailing soon-to-be saint Cardinal John Henry Newman as a model for teachers, Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins urged them to follow Newman’s example and turn challenges into successes. Collins addressed the teachers Sept. 2 at the ninth annual education Mass and dinner organized by the Catholic Teachers’ Guild at St. Paul’s Basilica.

Charitable sector needs better tax breaks

September 10, 2010

Arthur Peters, executive director of ShareLife [images/stories/toronto_people/tp_2008/ArthurPeters.jpg]TORONTO - ShareLife executive director Arthur Peters wants the fundraising arm of the archdiocese of Toronto more involved in efforts to encourage charitable giving with tax breaks on donations. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has heard submissions from the charitable sector for years on ways to boost Canadian charitable giving. Peters would like to see lobbying by the charitable sector be more successful.

Offering up stress to God can ease worry

September 10, 2010

I recently took my Grade 9 piano exam at the Royal Conservatory of Music. And while I love playing piano, an exam is a very nerve-wracking experience. The weeks leading up to the exam seemed interminably long and at the same time frighteningly short. It all reached its pinnacle on the day before my exam. I was extremely stressed because I wanted my practising to be perfect. But it wasn’t perfect and I was nervous because I didn’t want the exam to come so soon.

Volunteering options in the city

September 10, 2010

volunteer [images/stories/ysn/ysn10/volunteering.jpg]TORONTO - This fall, charities in Toronto have a message for Catholic youth: volunteer, your community needs you. But youth also need their community. And whether they’re in high school fulfilling their required 40 hours of community service, in college or university looking for co-op placements or just looking to volunteer in their community, there are plenty of interesting organizations to choose from. One such organization is the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Youth offered chance to discover their vocation

September 10, 2010

Toronto Serra [images/stories/toronto/toronto10/vocations_serra.jpg]TORONTO - Justin Lam entered the work force after graduating from graphic communications management at Toronto’s Ryerson University a couple of years ago. But despite his current job as a customer label estimator, Lam finds something is missing in his life. “There’s this feeling of emptiness from time to time where you go to work, get off work, go home, take a shower, go to bed and do it all again the next day,” said Lam, a member of Chinese Martyrs parish in Markham, Ont.

September 11

Nine years after 9/11, pastor sees ripples of hope

September 11, 2010

New Jersey [images/stories/international/international10/jersey.jpg]ORADELL, N.J. - Sitting in his office at St. Joseph parish in Oradell on a warm afternoon, Fr. Tom Iwanowski became emotional as he recounted his memories from Sept. 11, 2001. But it wasn’t the events of the cataclysmic date itself that brought him to tears; rather, it was an unexpected encounter with a woman in 2006 who gently knocked on the door of Our Lady of Czestochowa, the parish in Jersey City where he had served.

September 12

Protest leaders tell archbishop they won't disrupt papal events

September 12, 2010

Pope in England [images/stories/international/international10/PopeEngland.jpg]LONDON - Leaders of a coalition of groups planning to protest publicly against Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Britain have given assurances that they do not intend to disrupt any papal ceremonies during the four-day tour. Members of the Protest the Pope coalition told Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark that they do not intend to demonstrate at any public events during the Sept. 16-19 papal visit to England and Scotland.

September 15

Prescription drugs must be integrated with medicare, says CHAC

September 15, 2010

prescriptions [images/stories/canada/canada10/prescription.jpg]OTTAWA - The Catholic Health Alliance of Canada (CHAC) has welcomed the findings of a new study that calls for universal public pharmacare. The study, entitled The Economic Case for Universal Pharmacare, says Canada could lop $4.48 billion off the current $25.1 billion spent annually on prescription drugs with moderate revisions on how drugs are priced.

The attacks on the Pope's UK visit commence

September 15, 2010

Edinburgh - I took ill at Mass on Sunday, and my parish priest phoned to see what had happened, to arrange to give me my Pilgrim Pack and to give me the latest papal visit update. “There’s no bus,” he said. “What do you mean, there’s no bus?” “There’s no bus. It’s a train. You have to go to Waverley Station and take a train to Glasgow.”

Election's importance leads to Toronto archdiocese policy change

September 15, 2010

Archbishop Collins [images/stories/education/education10/collins10.jpg]TORONTO - Archbishop Thomas Collins has given the green light to campaigning for the Oct. 25 school board trustee election on Church property across the archdiocese. Neil MacCarthy, the Toronto archdiocese’s spokesperson, said this signals an opening up of parish halls to all-candidate meetings for those running for trustee.

Let's be clear about G8 maternal and child health plan

September 15, 2010

Bev Oda [images/stories/canada/canada10/odag8.jpg]Canada’s maternal and child health plan raised $5 billion in public and private funding and was endorsed in June by all the G8 members. The program to save the lives of tens of thousands women and children in developing nations was one of few highlights from the summer’s outrageously expensive gathering of world leaders. Despite pressure from many quarters, the government of Stephen Harper took the commendable position that none of Canada’s $1.1-billion contribution would be channelled into abortion. That position didn’t sit well with all our allies. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton thundered that “you can not have maternal health without reproductive health and reproductive health includes contraception and access to legal, safe abortions.” She, and others, were persuasive to the extent that Canada eventually included family planning into the program but drew the line at abortion.